FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE GYMNASTIQUE
Letter from the President
Nr 47
By Prof. Bruno Grandi, President of the FIG March 2011
The World Cup!
How many times have we announced a new gymnastic world cup? And how many times have we
corrected, eliminated, expanded or cut back on the format? Too many, in my opinion, if we are to
maintain a level of credibility with regard to the media, the public and our gymnasts. Since the
premiere edition in London (GBR) in 1975, we have often lacked in consistency and at times in
persistence.
Yet there is a legitimate need to have a competition format such as this one on our calendar. The
market, commentators, organisers, media and our gymnasts both expect it and are demanding a
high-level gymnastics World Cup; the same goes for all six or our competitive disciplines. And it
was with this in mind that our authorities met together several times in 2010 to work on developing
a concept that will respond to market demands.
Biennially, or every year for Olympic disciplines, a FIG world championship garners media and
public attention for a mere few days, and to varying degrees; after that the FIG label disappears
only to resurface the following year. That doesn't cut it; and the more prestigious tournament
organisers find themselves missing out on a return on their FIG label investment, which ought to
bring with it credibility, prestige and attention. The most prestigious tournaments the world has to
offer are entitled to the benefits generated before, during and after a world-class event.
That's what the FIG World Cup is for: to keep the flame burning; to remind the world that
gymnastics exists; that it's evolving; that it plays an active role in daily international sports,
and not only once every four years at the Olympic Games.
Quality!
In order to have it, we need to keep touch with the basics. And though it may strike a nerve with
some, gymnastics is entertainment, and as with any form of entertainment
you need a story,
actors, a stage and an audience. The key word to keeping the chemistry alive is quality.
Story: This is written in our Technical Regulations and Codes of Points. We've simplified many of
our texts, but it takes work to keep the audience in their seats until the very end of the show.
Actors: I am very proud of our athletes. I am also very sceptical of certain teaching and coaching
methods. I have long defended the health of our gymnasts and fought for coach education; I have
cried out against precocious activity and strenuous training. The Academies have helped us to
right our course.
Stage: I applaud organisers of the most prestigious international tournaments who forged a
reputation for themselves over time. Because of them, we now have an infrastructure that allows
our gymnasts to perform under the best possible conditions. The organisers must also reap the
harvest of their effort and investment; no organising committees, no events!
Audience: Without someone to enjoy it, even the greatest work of art remains unknown. We need
mass media, we need spectators. If we offer quality and originality, our entertainment will be a
guaranteed success and the audience will be there of its own accord.
When these conditions are met, the FIG World Cup label thrives. This is the spirit of the new FIG
World Cup Rules, where everyone involved needs to find their inspiration; a contract that satisfies
the needs of all parties.
The key success is also found in the frequency of our events, while respecting a certain time frame
between each stage. If gymnastics is often in the limelight, then it will have a reason to imitate
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FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE GYMNASTIQUE