Congress 2003 in Vienna: Dimitrios Dimitropoulos, new UEG president

Dimitrios Dimitropoulos (GRE)

ueg-info -- With 27 votes against 15 for his adversary Manuel Boa de Jesus (POR), Dimitrios Dimitropoulos (GRE) has been elected as head of the European Union of Gymnastics, UEG. He succeeds Klaus Lotz (GER) who has chaired the umbrella organisation of European gymnastics since 1993 and who will manage the UEG until the general elections which will be held during the 21st Congress in 2005.

In order to replace D. Dimitropoulos on the position which he has occupied until now the general assembly has elected the French Georges Guelzec, former member of the technical committee and member of the executive committee since 2001. He obtained 29 votes against 10 for the second candidate Hans-Christian Bjerg (Den).

Sylvio Kroll (GER)

In order to replace G. Guelzec in the executive committee the delegates have elected with 26 votes Silvio Kroll (GER), former World champion (parallel bars and vault), with 26 votes. He is also the current head of the board of control. In this election Jiri Kubicka (CZE) received 11 votes and Franz Vetti (AUT) 5.

The changes which were proposed by the UEG regarding the calendar of events (as discussed in the colloquium) have mainly been declined by the congress delegates.

ÖFT-Preident Fetti at his opening speefch

20th UEG congress in Vienna: day 1
After the meeting of the UEG Executive Committee took place on Thursday, on Friday at 3.00 p.m. the 20th Congress of the European Gymnastics Union UEG started in the hotel “Wiener Parkhotel Schönbrunn”.
In the ballroom of the emperor’s guesthouse the guests and delegates saw an Opening with great Austrian flair to Waltz music...

Already in the morning a “colloquium” took place regarding marketing- and event management questions in gymnastics…

EBU- expert Marc Jörg

Regarding marketing- and event management questions
Impressions from the congress by Mag. Robert Labner, ÖFT

The UEG-Congress started in Vienna already in the morning with a “colloquium” regarding marketing –and event management questions in gymnastics.
Marc Jörg, Sports Co-ordinator of the EBU (European Broad- casting Union) held a presentation on the conditions which are necessary in order to be successful with an event on television.

>> Here a few statements from this presentation:
' >> 'If we would have discussed this topic 20 years ago in Europe, politics would have decided which way to go. Today it is the market'.
>> 'All kind of sports with judging continuously loose public interest.'
>> 'In a World which lives from idols, the athletes and the length of their career are of great importance.'
>> 'The smaller a country, the more difficult it is to bring gymnastics on television.'
>> 'Tennis in Germany has shown that public interest does not primarily depend on the sport but on its stars and personalities.'
>> 'A good test: If you need more than 5 minutes to explain the rules of a sport to someone who does not know it, it is too complex for the concepts of TV.'
>> 'People want to see the personalities of athletes and exciting decisions.'
>> 'Competition formats should be - especially for minor TV- kinds of sport - the same at Olympics, World- and European Championships.'
>> 'Everything which is longer than 90 minutes has only very small chances to be shown on TV today.'
>> 'Difficult times are expected to come for many Olympic kinds of sport. Commercially seen they are often not important anymore.'
>> 'Gymnastics has to try to work against the negative development in the market'.....

Also statements from the head of marketing of the UEG Manfred Kucht ('To make our sport easier to understand for the public we still have a long way to go') and FIG-President Bruno Grandi ('We need three things: 'Shorter competitions, more personalities, understandable judging criteria”) went into the same direction. ...

Altogether the discussion brought up the impression that the will to carry out far-reaching reforms is not yet existent in the leading heads of many European federations! The request “to wait a bit with changing the formats of the European championships” has been heard several times these days.
UEG-President Klaus Lotz regarding this: 'We have already waited far too long.'
ÖFT- honorary president Rudi Otepka summed up: 'During the last 15 years nothing major has been changed in a positive direction...“
(Congress-notes by Robert Labner/ÖFT)

Regarding the changes which have been suggested by the UEG concerning the European competition calender, especially regarding the European championships which in future should take place every year in the various gymnastics disciplines, there have been controversial points of view. Concerns were expressed especially by the delegates from Switzerland, Great Britain and Germany (speaker: DTB-President Brechtken) – supported also by Romania - with the following arguments:
- possible overwork of the athletes,
- too excessive financial demands for the federations,
- the changes have not yet been sufficiently agreed with the World federation FIG...
- gymmedia -

>> ...please see also congress-preview

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