16. März 2009  
Taiwan  
Artistic Gymnastics

Do You know what D E A F L Y M P I C S are...?

The 21. DEAFLYMPICS 2009 will take place in Taipeh
From the 5th until the 15th of September 2009 the world elite of deaf athletes will determine the best among themselves in 19 different sports. 3.706 deaf participants from 74 nations signed on for the 21st summer games in Taiwan. Due to that, the „Deaflympics“ count next to the Olympic Games, the Universiades, the Paralympics,
Special Olympics and the World Games as one of the major sport events. However: gymnastic disciplines are not (yet) part of the program of these handicapped competitions.
The British as outriders...
That is what the experts of the British Gymnastics Federation want to change in the near future and they have 2 decades of experience in training and competition programmes which they want to internationalise.
Official request to the DTB president After a working visit of the British federation in Berlin (> see GYMmedia report from the Feb 19) they approached the President of the German Gymnastic Federation, Rainer BRECHTKEN.
They asked for endorsement and support for a training camp of handicapped gymnasts in Germany.

A suitable event for these rather new British ideas in Germany could be the International Gymnastics Festival in Frankfut/Main.
It would provide a great platform for an exchange of experiences.
The company „Eurotramp“ (Weilheim-Teck, Germany) spontaneously confirmed their support for the training camp. They are for example providers of the Olympic trampoline competitions.

Also the German paralyzed former top gymnast Ronny ZIESMER could imagine becoming the ambassador for a German structure of gymnastics for the disabled with competitions.
These have yet to be developed. His sponsor Daimler AG already announced their support too.

12-jährige niederländische Turnerin mit fast 100%igem Hörschaden...!

Can deaf people practise gymnastics...?
...it is hard to imagine as it is widely known that the ear is the base of our balance and that every person is depending heavily on their sensation of sound for orientation in a room.

<< Because of that we observed the British Federation surprised at their first training camp on Gran Canaria in December 2008 as for example a 12 year old Dutch girl is able to practise on all four Olympic apparatus and eligible to participate in competitions.
The performance orientated training means everything to her which you can see on her astounding performance on the balance beam.

Bo Dominicus, aus Tilburg in den südlichen Niederlanden, ist von Geburt an gehörlos ...

Practise gymnastics with nearly 100% loss of hearing...?!
The 12 year old Bo DOMINICUS from Tilburg (NED) also participated in the British training camp.
At home she is training on all four gymnastic apparatus - even the balance beam though her balance is affected by her impaired hearing.
She is in year six in a normal school in Tilburg. Gymnastics is an important part of her life: „..it allows her to integrate herself in normal everyday life situations“, said her mother.
Bo is coached by Ester Leon (photo, left) and her father Robert in the club „Dionysius“.
At home she trains four times a week, overall about 10 to 11 hours per week. „I love my sport and a need it a lot...!“, Bo said.
So you can look forward with interest to the mentioned 21st Deaflympics 2009.
The "German Deaf Sports Federation“ will participate in this competition with a delegation of 230 people.
The German athletes will start in 13 different sports. - see under www.2009taipei.dg-sv.de , as well as the event web site of the organiser of the 21st Summer DEAFLYMPICS Taipeh 2009 .
It is also interesting that Germany might develop Gymnastic offers for handicapped people with the outlook on competitions with the largest Gymnastic Federation.
Their exponents at least assured the British their full support.
* E. Herholz, GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL