Acrobatics

In Germany, acrobatics emerged from heavy athletics, and the first competitions took place in 1912. From 1930 acrobatics was integrated into competitions and introduced as an Olympic discipline at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Under National Socialism, acrobatics was canceled as an Olympic discipline and never reintroduced.

The sports acrobatics developed from the art power sports including elements from the floor exercises. Sports acrobatics includes acrobatic, dance, gymnastic as well as strength and courage-oriented exercise parts. The competitive sport includes jumping, pair and group exercises. Until 1971, power sports were a specialist division in the German Athletes' Association. This will continue to be cultivated as a popular sports discipline within the German Sports Acrobatics Federation.

Sports acrobats perform gymnastics on a 12 x 12 m large, sprung floor area. The competition program consists of a balance exercise, a dynamic exercise and a combined exercise as a multi-fight. There are also championship titles for the balance and dynamic exercises, which differ fundamentally in character. The competitions are divided into age groups of students, youth, juniors and seniors.

Internationally, sports acrobatics is represented by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG, International Gymnastics Federation) and the Union Européenne de Gymnastique (UEG, European Gymnastics Union).