INDIANAPOLIS, July 24, 2019 – The 329-member U.S. delegation performed well and enjoyed the pageantry and camaraderie at the 2019 World Gymnaestrada, July 7-13, in Dornbirn, Austria. The U.S. delegation was among the more than 18,000 participants of all ages from 60-plus countries around the globe that participated as part of this year’s World Gymnaestrada, which is held every four years.

Eight U.S. gymnastics clubs performed in this year’s event: Chattooga Gymnastics and Dance in Marietta, Ga.; GymTrix from Alpine, Calif.; Columbia Gymnastics in Columbia, Md.; Encore from Walnut Creek, Calif.; La Jolla (Calif.) YMCA; Showcase from Katy, Texas; Skyview Gymnastics in Mt. Airy, Md.; and Westport-Weston Family Y in Westport, Conn. The U.S. delegation also included individual participants from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Texas.

U.S.-based clubs demonstrated their prowess at the shows of both the Pan American Gymnastics Union and the International Gymnastics Federation. Each club performed three times throughout the week in one of nine halls at the main venue, as well as on the city stages. The event’s activities included the following.

  • FIG Gala: Hand-selected groups from around the world performed in a 90-minute show. The three performances boasted sold-out crowds and was televised. The USA participants included Chattooga Gymnastics and Dance.
  • PAGU evening: The 90-minute show included participants from 13 PAGU countries. The U.S. participants were from GymTrix; La Jolla YMCA; Showcase; and Westport-Weston Family Y.
  • USA Show: A special show featuring U.S. groups performed on the City Stage in Bregenz, the host for the USA Delegation. The show included the efforts of Chattooga Gymnastics and Dance; GymTrix; Encore; La Jolla YMCA; Showcase; Skyview Gymnastics; and Westport-Weston Family Y.
  • World Team: The World Team routine was staged in a stadium and featured gymnasts from around the globe, including Chattooga Gymnastics and Dance, Columbia Gymnastics and Encore.

Paula Lord gave a lecture during the Educational Forum

The World Gymnaestrada is a gymnastics festival where everyone actively participates. Gymnaestrada is the official FIG world event for “Gymnastics for All” (group gymnastics) and traces its history back to the World Gymnastics Festival in second half of the 19th century. The World Gymnastics Festival was an outgrowth of national gymnastic festivals in Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In 1950, the FIG General Assembly decided to integrate an International Gymnastics Festival, called “Gymnaestrada,” into their official event program. The first Gymnaestrada was held in 1953 in Rotterdam. Other cities that have hosted the event include Zagreb, Croatia; Stuttgart and Berlin, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Basel, Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland; Herning, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Göteborg, Sweden; Lisbon, Portugal; and Helsinki, Finland.

For more information on the World Gymnaestrada, visit wg2019.at, and a photo gallery.