Leipzig's gymnastics festival: 50,000 gymnasts celebrate the big sporting event!

Leipzig's gymnastics festival: 50,000 gymnasts celebrate the big sporting event!

There is a lot of activity at Leipzig main station: special trains from southwest Germany are bringing the first active participants in this year's gymnastics festival into the city. In total, the city of Leipzig expects around 50,000 gymnasts to take part in the competitions and events. Particularly striking is the Baden Gymnastics Association's party car, which ensures an exuberant atmosphere during the journey. The train connection leads directly to Leipzig via several stations, including Konstanz, Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe and Heidelberg. Helpers at the gymnastics festival are already optimistic and dream of a possible Olympic bid for Leipzig in 2036, 2040 or 2044. In this context, Leipzig is also mentioned as a possible venue for the Olympic Games in the “Berlin+” application concept.

The approximately 50,000 participants who are expected at the gymnastics festival not only bring with them sporting enthusiasm, but also an important topic that is attracting more and more attention: safe sport. The European Gymnastics Championships will raise awareness of this topic. The initiative aims to do this to promote a culture of observation and action in which everyone involved feels comfortable and contributes to positive cooperation. A code of honor that defines rules of conduct for respectful interaction can be viewed in the gymnastics festival program guide on page 271.

Safe sport and violence prevention in sport

The Safe Sport Code, which is becoming increasingly important in organized sport, was developed with scientific and legal expertise. The goal is to effectively combat interpersonal violence in sports clubs and associations. It includes all forms of violence, including physical, psychological and sexual violence and neglect. The code prohibits all forms of this violence and provides guidelines for investigating such incidents.

Sports organizations have a responsibility to consistently investigate cases of interpersonal violence. The Safe Sport Code creates a legal basis for processing cases that are below the criminal law threshold. This means that harassing training instructions or sexist statements can also be taken seriously and sanctioned. Compliance with the code enables measures such as expulsions, license revocation or financial penalties for perpetrators. This step sends a clear signal that violence in sport will not be tolerated.

As part of the gymnastics festival events, there is also a help and worry hotline that can be reached on +49341 238299-50. Trained contact persons are available to listen, support and offer help in cross-border situations. The initiatives within the framework of the European Gymnastics Championships and the Gymnastics Festival play a crucial role in creating a safe and respectful space for everyone involved and in continuing to raise awareness of the importance of safe sport.

Leipzig not only offers a framework for top sporting performance, but also sets an example for a responsible sports culture with its Safe Sport initiative.