Forchheim gymnasts triumph at Germany's largest sports festival!

Forchheim gymnasts triumph at Germany's largest sports festival!

The 44th German Gymnastics Festival, the largest competitive and popular sports event in the world, is currently taking place in Leipzig. Around 750,000 visitors are expected from May 28th to June 1st, 2025, including around 80,000 active athletes. Over 23 different sports are on the program, making the event an important platform for gymnasts from all over Germany and beyond. Particularly noteworthy is the 22-member group from Forchheim, consisting of members of VfB Forchheim and SpVgg Reuth.

The Forchheim delegation arrived on Thursday and took part in the gymnasts' youth party in the evening. On Friday, the participants had the opportunity to explore Leipzig and visit the European Gymnastics Championships, where European Championship winner Karina Schönmaier signed autographs. On Saturday the gymnastics competitions took place, in which 16 active participants from Forchheim demonstrated their skills. The Reuth girls competed on uneven bars, beam, vault and floor before a competition in which over 1,500 gymnasts took part per age group.

Achievements and a sense of community

The Forchheim athletes achieved solid results in the midfield. Emil Zimmermann particularly stood out: he achieved third place on the pommel horse out of more than 200 participants. The VfB boys competed in the pentathlon, which consisted of the floor, pommel horse, parallel bars and horizontal bar disciplines. The competitions not only offer the opportunity to celebrate sporting successes, but also to experience a strong sense of community. The participants spent the night in schools on sleeping mats and sleeping bags, which promoted exchange and learning from each other.

The festive program concludes with the stadium gala on Saturday evening in the RedBull Arena, where over 3,500 participants are expected. After an eventful weekend, participants will return home tired but happy and full of impressions. The next German Gymnastics Festival will take place in Munich in 2029.

Important topics and prevention

As part of the gymnastics festival, the topic of safe sport will also be highlighted. This concept includes the prevention, intervention and treatment of violence in sport. The aim is to promote a culture of observation and action so that everyone feels comfortable and safe. A special code of honor sets out rules of conduct, which can be found in the gymnastics festival program guide on page 271. For cross-border situations, there is a help and worry hotline that can be reached on +49341 238299-50. Trained contact persons are available there to listen, offer support and help.

As Wiesentbote reports, the event not only shows sporting achievements, but also how important respectful and safe cooperation is in sport. The European Gymnastics Championships are an overarching example of how sport and community can go hand in hand, and the Safe Sport initiatives are another step in the right direction. Impressions and experiences from the gymnastics festival will resonate for a long time and fuel anticipation for the next festival in Munich.

For further information about the European Gymnastics Championships and the associated topics, those interested can visit the official website of the European Gymnastics Festival.