The German Gymnastics Festival was opened with a grand ceremony in Leipzig this evening. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wished the top-class and popular sports event to send out a signal of "strength, fairness and cohesion" for Leipzig and the entire country. Steinmeier is the patron of the gymnastics festival.
There will be a variety of competitions, demonstrations and shows in various sports in Leipzig until Sunday. According to the organizers, ten German championships will be held, including in aerobic gymnastics, gymnastics and dance as well as sports acrobatics. There will also be a fistball cup, and trampolining and rope skipping are also on the program.
Around 80,000 participants expected
The organizers are expecting around 80,000 participants. Hundreds of thousands of guests are also expected to attend the numerous events. Almost 50,000 athletes have registered for the various competitions.
European Championships top sport and show stages for the public
The European Gymnastics Championships will take place in Leipzig in parallel to the gymnastics festival. The European Championship competitions will be held on the grounds of the New Trade Fair Center. Three large gymnastics festival show stages will be set up on Leipzig Market Square, Augustusplatz and the Festwiese. For those interested, there are opportunities to take part in sports such as judo and karate.
According to the organizers, the International German Gymnastics Festival is one of the largest mass sports events in the world. It looks back on a long tradition: Leipzig hosted the third General German Gymnastics Festival back in 1863. In 2025, the city will host the gymnastics festival for the 13th time. The festival is held every four years. However, it was canceled in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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