From the point of view of the gymnastic federation of the state of Saxonia-Anhalt this year's festival was a great success: More than 1,700 participants of all age groups and disciplines - including Jahn - and orienteering race - could enjoy almost perfectly organised competitions. For it is a well-co-ordinated team that organises this Memorial for years.
The colourful variety of the gym shows called "Turnschaukasten" was remarkable, too. For the first time teams from Portugal and Israel took part, whereas gymnasts from Austria and the Netherlands are already a well- established part for decades. Only sport and gymnastics tourists of the region or the city are rarely seen, and especially not non-local ones. Hardly anyone of Freyburg's inhabitants could be greeted on the square, if he was not directly connected to the gymnastics festival. The Naumburger Tageblatt's editor Torsten Kühl: "The PR work prior to the competition was almost non-existing. We felt badly informed this year."
And there was especially no over-regional PR work. Except here at the internet service of www.gymmedia.com, no kind of reports or information about one of the most fascinating events in general gymnastics on a high level could be found. A variety of possibilities did not get a chance to get used: Gymnastic world stars like the last World Champion of the GDR Jörg Behrend (vault, Stuttgart 1989) or the first World Champion of re-united Germany Ralf Büchner (high bar, Indianapolis 1991) walked unrecognised around and were neither officially involved in the event nor publicly mentioned at all. Even the only active ambassador of the city that is about to hold the German Gymnastics Festival - who is not such a one officially - and Olympic Champion, Klaus Koeste, was greeted but not integrated into the festival in any further way. However, the "tour of hope" made use of his popularity. From there he travelled directly to the "40th Berlin Olympic Round Table" in Stadtroda and later on to Freyburg. This legendary Berlin Olympic Round Table would have been placed better in Freyburg than in Stadtroda, too. In any case the MDR-TV thought this table worth of being broadcasted!
Many former German champions and international medal winners stayed anonymous, too. Why should one pay attention to them: Only the gymnastic scene was present... but exactly this is the big mistake of this sport: If you do not look over the high bar, you should not be surprised when the public will not be reached and sponsors stay away. Furthermore, the budgets are getting even smaller: There was not much money for placarding, and the committed judges had to suffer a cut of their already small salary...!
These neglects are mainly due to the work of the city Freyburg and the tourist association, of which was little to hear. Thus the mayor Martin Bertling noted: "We have to take the Jahn Memorial back into the town hall as main responsibility and to give it top priority...!" Already a couple of years ago successful beginnings had been done, however, there was no realisation of the marketing concept.
This should be changed before the 80th Jahn Memorial and the 150th anniversary of the death of the father of gymnastics in the year of the German Gymnastics Festival...(Eckhard Herholz / GYMmedia)
(Translation: Florian Schmid-Sorg)

by Torsten Kuehl, MZ / Translation: Florian Schmid-Sorg

Freyburg. Despite a budget on low flame the Jahn Memorial tournament did not lose nothing of its strong attraction. Last weekend the regional gymnastics federation of the state Saxonia-Anhalt could greet about 1,700 gymnasts either on apparatus on the lawn of the sports park called after the father of gymnastics or on the close stage. "Excepts Bremen all other 19 regional gymnastics federations were present. That's a record", said a delighted Bianka Hüller. The managing executive of the gymnastic federation of the state Saxonia-Anhalt had a budget of DM 80,000 to spend for the 79th happening of this traditional event. "Financial support does not come in easily as it did before. Means of Lotto-Toto and financial support of the Burgenlandkreis helped to organise the event in a reasonable way, according to the chief organisator. Savings in costs of printing - for the first time there were no advertising posters - and a reduction in numbers of judges had been urgently necessary. "Especially the judges at the general gymnastics competitions ought to be praised. They agreed to work for only DM 25,- per day", says Bianka Hüller. "They are crazy about gymnastics, and without them our sport could not exist in its present scale." A further important support came from the company Stöhr Sportgeräte. "Since 1992 they give us apparatuses of a value of DM 80,000,- to dispose of freely every single year. We only have to pay for costs of transport", accounts the managing executive of the regional gymnastics federation. For the first time tumbling - a special form of acrobatic series - was part of the programme this year. Last year the premier had 'fallen into water' because of a thunderstorm. Despite the German Gymnastics Festival, the 80th Jahn Memorial will take place next year, too.

>> ALL RESULTS 2001 (Artistic Gymnastics)

Halle/Freyburg/Berlin: (17-July-2001)
The 79th JAHN FESTIVAL 2001 will take place from 17th to 19th August in the town of the Grandfather of Gymnastics, in Freyburg.
Approximately 1800 active participants will come from Germany and other European countries like Israel (Clubs Ayala" and "Limor") and Portugal (Loulè Gymnastics Team)...
In a couple of days agency GYMmedia will start to report with detailed information....

.... back to www.gymmedia.com