World champion in action: Mega event in the Coque costs 1.5 million euros
Because of Easter holidays! The representatives of the Luxembourg Gymnastics Association FLGYM can currently hardly save themselves from work. The Grand Duchy is the scene of top -class events these days: The European Championship in Sports Accrobatics takes place for the first time in the Coque. In addition, the Luxembourg Open in the gymnastics athletes attract top athletes into the capital sports hall in Belair.
« We are ready to receive the 1,200 participants, » says Silvio Sagramola, coordinator of the European Championship and FLGYM general secretary, about preparations for one of the largest sporting events in Germany – the European title fights in sports acrobatics. Basically, they consist of two events.
From Thursday, European age group competitions for young people up to 18 years in the Coque arena take place, then the adults and juniors’ European Championships up to and including Easter Sunday. 600 athletes and their supervisors are expected at both title fights.
Next week (April 17 and 18) Luxembourg’s best gymnasts, including the World Cup medalist Céleste Mordenti, will also compete at the Luxembourg Open with strong foreign competition. The national champions are also chosen. Around 100 participants are expected in Belair.
For the organizers from the FLGYM, it is therefore the biggest challenge to divide around 70 volunteers between Kirchberg and Belair the next week. « That means that we have to plan very tightly with logistics, » says Sagramola.
We would like to promote gymnastics and also show the diversity of this sport.
Silvio Sagramola
Coordinator of the EM
The Luxembourgers had to adapt to the international calendar. The willingness to be available for the sports acrobatics European Championship during the Easter holidays apparently also brought the FLGYM to plus points in order to receive the contract from hosts. Luxembourg’s association has been trying to emerge more as an organizer of international events for several years, also to get the gymnastics out of the shade in this country.
« We would like to advertise for gymnastics and also show the diversity of this sport, » explains Sagramola. Getting large events in modern disciplines is part of it. In 2022, Luxembourg was the scene of the European Championship in the team gym, which attracted a lot of visitors and brought praise to the local organizers from the European Association and the top foreign athletes.
Six world champions from Belgium
The FLGYM was now able to build on these experiences. Sports acrobatics, like Teamgym, is also a spectacular gymnastics discipline that has become increasingly popular worldwide in the recent past. It is not yet very well known in Luxembourg. There are therefore no local athletes at the European Championship. Only at the two opening celebrations on Thursday and next Wednesday they work.
« Such sports always start at leisure level, » says Sagramola. Various things are tried out in the clubs, and elements such as pyramids are also shown on galas. However, this cannot be compared to the level that the audience is offered at the EM in the Coque.
Among other things, numerous world champions compete there. 13 of the participating associations have gold medalists from the last World Cup in the Portuguese Guimaraes in their ranks. Six current world champions come from the neighboring country of Belgium alone. A total of 25 nations are represented in the Coque. Sagramola puts the total costs for the European Championship with around 1.5 million euros.
Silvio Sagramola has his hands full. Photo: Christian Kemp
The search for sponsors was “very difficult”. Gymnastics are not the sport that potential sponsors chose primarily, according to the FLGYM general secretary: « This is partly because gymnastics is a bit more complicated when it comes to the rules. » Many people are interested in gymnastics. Later lace athletes of other sports have often started than gymnasts. In Luxembourg, the FLGYM is the third largest association with around 8,600 in 47 clubs licensed members.
In any case, interested parties will receive high -class sports and a good show in this and the next week. In acrobatics, teams of different sizes present lifting figures and cargo elements framed by suitable music.
The organizers hope for a large audience. Around 2,000 tickets were discontinued in advance. The sale of day tickets is currently in full swing because the families of the participants from neighboring countries book these for certain competitions. Sagramola advertises spectators: « It is a good opportunity to get to know a new turndiscipline that is very spectacular. »
With stars and spectacle: Luxembourg’s third largest sports association wants to step out of the shade
What is sports acrobatics?
This turndiscipline was already operated in antiquity, later it spread worldwide over circus artistics. Today’s competition, which is also known as acrobatic gymnastics or acrosports, combines elements of gymnastics, acrobatics and dance.
There are competitions for male, female and mixed couples, for trios and for groups with more than three members. They consist of the discipline elements balance (hold of static poses, in which the athletes support each other), dynamics (fast acrobatic elements such as lifts, throws, salts and catches) as well as combinations of both. Strength, flexibility and timing play a major role. The complexity, execution and artistic design of the exercises are evaluated.
