FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE GYMNASTIQUE
Letter from the President
Nr 58
By Prof. Bruno Grandi, President of the FIG February 2012
Friends,
The recent Olympic Qualifying and Test Events in London revealed to what point gymnastic fans
are loyal to their sport; thanks to them our sport is reaching levels of performance and popularity
heretofore inaccessible. In January 2012, an event took place in London that altered our sport for
good; and only time will tell what the long-term effects will be.
It was the FIG's first time single-handedly producing and broadcasting the Finals on television, a
groundbreaking step that will affect the way gymnastics communicates with its fans from here on
out. A threshold has been crossed and there's no going back.
The Artistic and Trampoline Finals were live streamed on the "Gymnastics" You Tube channel. Our
decision was both strategic and political in that the FIG had an obligation to its public to supply a
host-broadcaster for an event that had none. Human and technical resources were pooled to
provide a premiere service and the outcome was remarkable.
London went to prove that quality work stands out, the images produced actually propelled the
sport forward. Gymnastics spoke the language of its fans - on their turf and through their media.
Our first experience in London was limited to two days of Finals. It was a trial run, designed by
communication experts to focus coverage on these two disciplines, though other FIG specialties
will also be given You Tube channel time.
In London, FIG provided even more images to bolster the package generally offered by our
broadcasting partners when they are at the head of production.
The Gym Channel is also an opportunity to extend our disciplines' visibility. It is a chance for us to
bring every sector of gymnastics together on a single platform and to provide a package that is not
only sustainable from a media standpoint, it is able to captivate an entire public, keep their
attention, and entice commentators and sponsors alike.
A new era opened before us in London. A new chapter in our long history has begun.
With my compliments.
65
FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE GYMNASTIQUE