05. März 2014  
Levallois-Perret, France  
Sports Acrobatics

*PREVIEW: 24th ACROBATIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

The 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships, along with the World Age Group Competitions, will be held at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan of Levallois (FRA), in the north-western outskirts of Paris. More than 600 gymnasts total are expected to participate in the World Age Group Competitions, set for July 2 – 5, and the World Championships, scheduled for July 10-12.
 

Historically, France has been one of the most frequent hosts of Gymnastics World Championships. During its long history, the FIG has organised a total of 16 World competitions in France, spanning all disciplines. The 2014 Acrobatic Worlds will be the first for James Blateau, the new President of the French Gymnastics Federation (FFG), who took over from Jacques Rey this past March. France organised the World Championships twice – in Rennes in 1986 and 1992 – before Acrobatic Gymnastics came under the FIG umbrella in 1998. The country also held the 2004 Worlds in Liévin, this time under the FIG label.
Acrobatic Gymnastics has enormous potential in France and worldwide, with 49 of 135 Gymnastics federations on the five continents including the discipline in their programme.

* Acrobatic Gymnastics, a discipline practiced long before the creation of the International Federation of Sports Acrobatics (IFSA) in 1973, celebrated its 40th anniversary as a competitive sport this November. Acrobatic Gymnastics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics.
AC routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterise the balance routine, while synchronised tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise.
An Acrobatic Gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A three-person women's group is comprised of a base, middle and top partner, while a men's four has a base, two middle partners and one top partner.
* source: f i g

* The F.I.G. Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships (WCh) have been held in:
- 2012, ⇒ 23th WCh, Lake Buena Vista (USA).
- 2010, ⇒ 22nd WCh, Wroclaw (POL);
- 2008, ⇒ 21st WCh, Glasgow (GBR; Scotland)
- 2006, ⇒ 20th WCh, Coimbra (POR)
- 2004, ⇒ 19th WCh, Liévin (FRA);
- 2002, ⇒ 18th WCh, Riesa (GER)
- 2000, ⇒ 17th WCh, Wroclaw (POL)
- 1999, ⇒ 16th WCh, Ghent (BEL)
* source: gymmedia