Congress & Last look before Election

Lausanne , Oct 2, 2012: At the 32nd Congress of the International Federation of Sport Medicine (FIMS), the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Medical Commission, Dr Michel Léglise (FRA), expounded on the manner in which growth affects puberty to an audience of 500 gymnasts from Rhythmic Gymnastics’ international elite.

Also Vice-President of the FIG, Dr Léglise presented his findings after eight years of study on hormonal and bone development in athletes, a study that was conducted in collaboration with Dr Neoklis Georgopoulos (GRE) of Patras, and which aroused interest from the 2,800 congressists hailing from 170 nations.

Among the distinguished guests was Prof. Bruno Grandi (ITA), FIG President and former educator, who is ever mindful of gymnast health and medical entourage. “The safety and health of our gymnasts has long been a core issue of mine. As a former educator and coach, and today at the head of the FIG, I feel that safety and health are largely underpinned through awareness as was so expertly presented here in Rome, notably by Dr Léglise,” said Professor Grandi emphatically, at the close of the Congress.

Last look before Election Day, Aerobic Gymnastics

The Aerobic Gymnastics Technical Committee turned out in full force for its final working meeting of the 2009 – 2012 Cycle at the FIG Head Office in Lausanne early September, alongside TC President, Mireille Ganzin (FRA).

The bulk of their work focused on finalizing the Code of Points, which will guide Aerobic through the 2013 – 2016 Cycle, and supply it with the content, substance and directives necessary to affirming the discipline’s identity, personality and credibility. The Committee analyzed and redefined prohibited elements, a measure intended to better safeguard gymnast health.

The Code will be examined and feedback given at the intercontinental judges’ course in Prague (CZE), December 1 – 7, 2012, after brevet candidates take the traditional exam that leads to an Open Sesame for international judging from 2013 forward.

Reference judges will be introduced into Aerobic Gymnastics as they were for the Olympic disciplines of Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline starting in 2010. Their integration is meant to underscore sport justice as championed by FIG President, Prof. Bruno Grandi (ITA). Just as the IRCOS video system began reinforcing the evaluation of Difficulty in 2005, so reference judges will buttress the evaluation of Execution in the future.

The Committee also took a close look at the long term calendar, specifically the main 2013 event or 9th World Games in Cali (COL) from July to August. The World Games feature Aerobic Gymnastics as a key player, alongside Trampoline and Acrobatic.

Also in terms of the calendar, the location for the 13th World Championships in 2014 – held biennially – is still to be determined. President Ganzin has asked any of the 131 affiliated FIG federations interested in organizing the world class event to come forward; the WCs are widely promoted and broadcasted internationally.

Dates and locations have been confirmed for stages of the 2013 Aerobic World Cup. The circuit will kick off in Aix-les-Bains (FRA) and conclude in Borovets (BUL), with stopovers in Tokyo (JPN) and Ponta Delgada (POR). 2013 is also Aerobic’s premiere participation in a Gymnasiade as a demonstration sport; the quadrennial multisport event, slated for Brasilia (BRA), has been organized by the International School Sport Federation since 1974 and is reserved for gymnasts up to 18 years of age.

For now, all eyes are on the General Assembly in Cancun and the statutory elections, where incumbent Technical Committee members are up for re-election. —- FIG