08. Januar 2010  
Biel, Switzerland  
Artistic Gymnastics

90 Years: Happy Birtday Jack GÜNTHARD!

Jack Günthard (SUI) 90 Years!

The Swiss Olympic high bar champion of Helsinki 1952, Jack GÜNTHARD celebrates his 90th birthday on 2010, January 8th.
Born 1920, Jack Günthard can be proud of his long career as a gymnast, which started in 1936. The double European Champion on parallel bars and horizontal bar (1957, Paris) was also a member of the UEG Men’s Technical Committee from 1982 to 1993. As recognition for his commitment, he was awarded the title “UEG Honorary Member”. 
He dedicated his entire life to training and education, as coach of clubs or of the national teams of Switzerland (1966 to 1979) and Italy (1958 to 1964).

Olympic Champion1952 on high bar,
the biggest hour of his career!
left: Sepp Stalder (SUI), Alfred Schwarzmann (FRG)

Jack Günthard - member of the Swiss gold taem at the world championships 1950 (Basel, Switzerland) won three times the Swiss national all-aound title from 1956 to 1958 and was also the winner of the traditional big Swiss Turnfest (1951, 1955).
In his professional life, Jack Günthard has also chosen sports by becoming a physical education teacher.
Following he became the National Coach for Italy (1958 - '64) and his native country ('65 - '85) and held that position with considerable success for some 40 years.
From 1965 until 1985, Mr. Gunthard also served the academic and athletic communities as a professor at the University of Basel, Switzerland.
Nominated by the Swiss Gymnastics Federation, Jack Gunthard was selected for induction into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.  * >> IGHOF video
The Swiss have a special place in the history of the sport of gymnastics. Their national program continues to produce champions today as it has for a great many years.
Jack Gunthard was a very important person to that tradition.
* ... read more >> www.gymmedia.de (German)