FIG Executive Committee Official News

Lausanne, Nov 29, 2013: The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) publishes the main decisions taken by its Executive Committee during its scheduled meeting, November 21 – 22, 2013, at the federation’s head office in Lausanne (SUI).

– Due to a natural disaster that struck the Philippines, the FIG Foundation Council will consider bringing aid to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines;

– Said Foundation Council has confirmed the allocation of scholarships. A total of US$ 60,000 is available;

– The President informed that the new Athletes’ Commission is now complete, and will meet in Lausanne on January 24, 2014 to elect a President. It is made up of:

-The FIG President met with a delegation from Australia and New Zealand to discuss the possible founding of a Continental Union of Oceania (OCE);

– The Executive Committee has decided to study the restructuring its Olympic contingent for Rhythmic Gymnastics, bringing from 6 to 5 the number of gymnasts in a group, which would allow for 14 instead of 12 groups to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro;

– The Executive unanimously decided to revamp the entire IRCOS system. A 2.45 million CHF wallet is allocated for the project over an 8-year period;

– The Executive took note of the Central African Gymnastics Federation’s (CAF) candidacy for the status of associated federation, as well as the readmission of Sudan (SUD) as an affiliated federation. These two points remain to be confirmed by the FIG Council in May 2014 in Kuwait City (KUW), and by the General Assembly in Tashkent (UZB) in October 2014;

– The “World Class Gymnasts” regulation has been extended to include the Aerobic Dance and Aerobic Step categories. Results from the 2013 World Games in Cali (COL) and the 2012 World Championships in Sofia (BUL) will count retroactively;

– The concept of a gift in the “FIG Code of Ethics” has been brought into compliance with the current IOC document. Starting today, all infractions will be brought before the FIG Disciplinary Commission;

– Following the October 2013 Symposium on calendar coordination and the new Olympic qualifying system, the Executive has examined the desired trajectories. A working group will meet in January 2014 to finalise proposals that will then be submitted to the Executive and FIG Council;

– At the close of the three world championships held in 2013, the Medical Commission informed that in terms of accidents, this year showed the lowest number of accidents over the past twenty years;

– From 2011 – 2013, the Medical Commission conducted 950 antidoping tests. Three positive, venial cases were recorded in all (furosemide, cannabis, stimulant);

– The Gymnastics for All Committee, in collaboration with British Gymnastics, will hold a Symposium on gymnastics for the disabled under the non-competitive Gymnastics for All umbrella;

– Organisers of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) have secured the services of Ms Naomi Valenzo (MEX), FIG Women’s Technical Committee Vice-President, for the position of Director of Gymnastics Competitions. The same organisers have confirmed the organisation of a gymnastics Gala;

– The 30th Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships 2014 will be held in Daytona Beach (USA), November 7 – 9;

– The 13th Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships 2014 are slated for June 27 – 29 in Cancun (MEX);

– The 24th Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships 2014 will be held in Levallois (FRA), July 10 – 12;

– Finnish organisers of the 15th World Gymnaestrada in Helsinki report 21,000 registered participants to date;

– Change in nationality:

– At the close of the 2013 Artistic worlds, the Men’s and Women’s Technical Committees submitted various changes to the codes of points for Executive Committee approval. These modifications will come into force as of May 1, 2014;

– Following the World Games in Cali, the Acrobatic Gymnastics Technical Committee proposed modifications to its code of points, proposals which were accepted by the Executive and which will come into force as of May 1, 2014;

– The Executive gave the Presidential Board the power to accept modifications to the Rhythmic Gymnastics code of points at its January 2014 meeting. These changes will be valid for the 2014 Rhythmic worlds in Izmir (TUR);

– Members reviewed the competitions programme for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio (BRA);

– The Executive approved judge selection criteria for the 2014 YOG;

– The FIG President set up a working group to examine the negotiation and validation procedure for all television and marketing contracts. The working group is composed of Vasily Titov (RUS – President), Morinari Watanabe (JPN) and Georges Guelzec (FRA), Members;

– Members of the Executive modified the Specific Judges’ Rules for Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, which will allow some ten judges to obtain a category 1 brevet.

The next FIG Executive Committee meeting will be held at the FIG head office in Lausanne (SUI), February 27 – 28, 2014. —- By: André F. GUEISBUHLER, FIG Secretary General