08. November 2014  
WCh 2014 Daytona Beach, Fl./USA

Trampoline celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Ron FROELICH, FIG Board Member and former F.I.T President

An important milestone in the history of Trampoline Gymnastics, the year 1964 was not only when the International Trampoline Federation (FIT) was created, but also the time of the inaugural Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships.
- a F.I.G. Report

Now, fifty years later, the international Trampoline Gymnastics community is commemorating the early years of the discipline. FIT Honorary Members, authorities of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), former Trampoline World champions and delegation members of the 30th World Championships that conclude Sunday in Daytona Beach (USA) gathered for an anniversary dinner at the Ocean Center Saturday evening.

F.I.G.-President Prof. Bruno GRANDI at the celebration of 50 Years Trampoline Worlds on Saturday evening.

The history of Trampoline Gymnastics actually goes further back than 1964 and it has become a competitive event with the invention of the trampoline as a portable unit by American George Nissen in 1936.

First Trampoline Gymnastics World champions Judy Wills Cline (USA) and Dan Millman (USA) with FIG Trampoline TC member Dmitry Poliaroush (RUS) (centre).

On 4 March 1964, the FIT was born in Frankfurt on Main (GER). The delegates present elected its President, the Swiss René Schaerer, and laid the foundations for the first Trampoline World Championships, which would take place on 21 March of the same year at the Royal Albert Hall in London (GBR).
The USA’s Dan Millman and Judy Wills Cline were the inaugural World Trampoline champions. 

In the years that followed, the sport grew rapidly, with Synchronised Trampoline first being contested at Worlds in 1965 as a mixed team event, with a separate men’s and women’s competition added in 1966. The first World Championships that included Double Mini-trampoline was held in Tulsa (USA) in 1976, while Tumbling first appeared at the World Championships in 1965 and then returned in 1976 as a FIT discipline.

First Trampoline Gymnastics Olympic champions Irina Karavaeva (RUS) and Alexander Moskalenko (RUS).

In 1988, Trampoline Gymnastics received recognition of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a crucial first step toward its official inclusion in the programme of the Olympic Games. To achieve this objective, in 1998 the FIT was integrated into the structure of the FIG and finally, in 2000, achieved Olympic status in Sydney (AUS).

Today, Individual Trampoline is one of the four FIG Olympic disciplines, alongside Men's and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics and Rhythmic Gymnastics. Synchronised Trampoline and Tumbling count among the most popular events at the World Games, which take place every four years, like the Olympics themselves.

50th anniversary
On the occasion of the anniversary dinner in Daytona Beach, FIG President Prof. Bruno Grandi (ITA) paid tribute to the attending Ron Froehlich (USA), who was the last president of the FIT and the driving force of the integration of Individual Trampoline in the Olympic programme. Grandi also honored Alexander Moskalenko (RUS) and Irina Karavaeva (RUS), the first two Olympic champions in Trampoline, who attended the festivities at the Ocean Center. "I remember the first measures taken by President Ron Froehlich and his smart and efficient strategy to make Trampoline a full-fledged Olympic discipline," Grandi said. "I particularly remember the emotion of the same Ron Froehlich when the first medals were awarded in 2000 in Sydney to the first two Olympic champions Alexander Moskalenko and Irina Karaveva and I still see the tears of joy in the eyes of George Nissen, the initiator of Trampoline who was present with us in Sydney."
Among the distinguished guests of the anniversary dinner were furthermore Jeff Hennessy (USA), former chairman of the FIT Technical Committee and the United States' most successful Trampoline and Double Mini-trampoline coach, Horst Kunze (GER), who has been heading the FIT TC for 24 years, as well as the first women's and men's Individual Trampoline World champions Judy Wills Cline (USA) and Dan Millman (USA).
* source: f i g

 

* The FIG publishes a special Video: >> 50 Years of Trampoline History:
   (* In interview: André Gueisbuhler and Ron Froehlich)

* Youtube (23)