“A step towards the future” with the first official use of Fujitsu technology to support judging at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships
LAUSANNE (SUI) / TOKYO (JPN), 2 October 2019
The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, from 4 to 13 October represent a milestone for the project of the judging support system utilising artificial intelligence and 3D sensors, which is being jointly developed by Fujitsu Limited and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
For the first time, the system will be officially used in an FIG competition as an additional tool for confirming difficulty scores on four apparatus.
Specifically, the superior jury – the judges who oversee the competitions – will have the possibility of recourse to the judging support system to review gymnasts’ exercises in cases of inquiry or blocked scores on the Pommel Horse, Still Rings, men’s Vault and women’s Vault.
The FIG and Fujitsu Limited began their collaboration in 2017, with the aim of setting up a real-time judging support system that is fair and accurate.
The two partners carried out technical verification at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, held in Doha, Qatar, leading to the FIG’s decision to implement the judging support system at the next World Championships in Stuttgart this year.
Following successful tests made this year at the Tokyo All-Around World Cup in April, and at the Junior World Championships in Gyor, Hungary, in June, the FIG Executive Committee gave the green light for this official debut at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships for four apparatus.
FIG President Morinari Watanabe, a fervent advocate of this project, hails it as “a big step towards the future”. Mr Watanabe continues, “The people we must always have in mind are the gymnasts. They dedicate their youth to this sport, which gives them dreams and sees them flourish. We cannot accept that all those years of hard effort and all those dreams can be destroyed by a single judging error. Scoring controversies must become a thing of the past, and the technology that Fujitsu has been developing will reinforce trust in judgement.”
Fujitsu Executive Vice President Hiroyuki Sakai comments: “We are pleased that our judging support system will be officially implemented at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart. Through this opportunity, the FIG and Fujitsu will continue to create value for Gymnastics, further accelerating our co-creation activities to develop the discipline and promote the global sports business.”
Developed by Fujitsu and Fujitsu Laboratories, the judging support system utilises artificial intelligence and 3D sensors to capture each gymnast’s movement and analyse it as numerical data. It offers a three-dimensional digital view of the performed elements, with a variety of selections for angle measurements, all of which helps to deliver a fair and accurate judgement.
The Fujitsu support system will be used by the superior jury in addition to the Instant Replay and Control System (IRCOS), the video replay system used by the FIG in Artistic Gymnastics since the 2005 World Championships. Both systems present significant benefits for the review of gymnasts’ exercises.
The FIG and Fujitsu have been working to further develop this new technology, and plan to expand its application to the other six apparatus in Artistic Gymnastics.
The FIG sees significant potential in the technology developed by Fujitsu, not only in the matter of judging, but also in the future for education, coaching and training. The data provided might help to enhance gymnasts’ movements or correct body posture, and thus aid in lowering the risk of injuries.
Vivacious, strong-minded and extremely talented, Simone is already considered by many to be the greatest of all time, and is clear favourite for the all-round title here in Stuttgart.
Everyone appreciates applause for a job well done, and gymnasts are duly recognised when competing in a big event such as the world championships.
It’s not something you expect in training sessions however – unless you are Simone Biles.
Here in Stuttgart, days before competition started, she and her teammates were training in a backstage hall. Gymnasts, officials and backroom staff were crowded around the doorway trying to get a glimpse of the superstar.
When she executed her new skill on the floor – a triple-twisting double somersault – applause went round the training hall.
“I never thought it would be in a routine until now,” says the Olympic champion. “I feel like it’s not real, but it is.”
Such is the cachet of the 22-year-old from Texas that tickets for the competition featuring her sold out long ago. In a stroke of commercial genius, the organisers decided to make tickets available for her official training session in the main arena – a sort of dress rehearsal known as podium training.
Biles burst onto the international gymnastics scene as a virtual unknown way back in 2013. Since then she has won all-around gold at every world championships she has competed in, along with several team and apparatus gold medals.
She became a household name after winning the 2016 Olympic all-around title in Rio, stunning the world with her high level of difficulty. Biles epitomised the Olympic motto “higher, faster, stronger:”
But fame is not something she is comfortable with.
“I feel like if I were to label myself as a superstar, it would bring more expectations on me,” she says. “I would feel pressure. At the end of the day I am still a human being before I’m Simone Biles the superstar.”
Biles is capable of medalling in every event if she hits her routines cleanly. Golds are within grasp on all but uneven bars, long considered her weakness – even though she regularly makes finals in that event.
It prompted one journalist to ask how many gold medals she was hoping to win in Stuttgart. Her reply was unassuming.
“I never go into a competition trying to win – I just go into a competition trying to compete like I train.”
Simone Biles starts her competition on Saturday at 8 pm in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart.
Watch out fans and visitors!
Meet German gymnastics stars and other idols closely at exclusive autograph sessions.
You always wanted to have original signatures from the stars of the Team Deutschland or you always wanted to have personal dedications on a common snapshot ?
On the following days and times you will have the chance to get those:
- 05.10.2019, with the women from Team Germany
Between division 10/11 at 5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
- 07.10.2019, with the men from Team Germany
Between division 5/6 at 12:30 pm 1:30 pm
Further highlights are autograph sessions with our official World Championships ambassadors Catalina Ponor and Fabian Hambüchen, who will let your heart beat faster.
- 08.10.2019: After woman’s team competition finals at approx: 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
- 09.10.2019: After man’s team competition finals at approx. 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
- 11.10.2019: After man’s all-around finals at approx. 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Come to the foyer of Hanns-Martin-Schleyer hall and make sure you get one of the popular souvenirs. You are heartly welcome to get to know your favorite athlets in private.
After an impressive showing in podium training on Monday, the German women can’t wait to start the qualification competition on Friday.
“It’s my first world championships and I’m so excited for Friday”, says the youngest team member, Emilie Petz. “My family and friends are coming, so I cannot wait. I think it’s going to be amazing!”
Petz is enjoying competing alongside her more senior teammates. “It’s really cool to compete with Kim Bui and Elisabeth Seitz,” she says, adding that they give her advice and encouragement when needed.
No that the 16-year-old needs much advice. She is planning to show a new dismount from uneven bars that will be named after her if she lands it successfully.
Uneven bars seems to be one of the strongest apparatus for team Germany, with Olympic bronze medallist Sophie Scheder, and 2018 world bronze medallist Elisabeth Seitz also on the team.
“I’m really proud to represent my country here in Stuttgart,” says Scheder. “Of course, it’s motivating to know that the whole arena is cheering for you. I think it’s going to push us, and I hope we will be carried by the crowd.”
For Seitz, these championships mark her return to full fitness after four surgeries to her feet since 2013. It restricted her training mostly to uneven bars, where she now boasts a routine with a start value of 6.4.
“Everything went well,” she says after podium training. “I didn’t have a fall or a mistake, and I’m happy that I’m back and able to show everything I can.”
Sarah Voss is equally enthusiastic about the championships. “We are very well prepared. All our friends and family will be here. It will be an amazing feeling having such a big crowd behind us.”
Holding the team together with her experience is 30-year-old local Stuttgart girl, Kim Bui. She is excited about performing in her home town, but is keeping her eye on the target.
“We want to reach the team final, so this is our main goal for the team,” she says. “Anything else is just a bonus!”
Competition starts on Friday with the women’s team qualifications
WATCH SIMONE BILES LIVE IN TRAINING
All tickets for the qualification competitions of the Subdivisions 10 to 12 with the top teams from Russia, Brazil and the USA for the Gymnastics World Championships Stuttgart 2019 are already sold out. Therefore the podium training of the women with the US-Girls will be open for the public. Four-time Olympic champion from the USA Simone Biles will show her newly created elements at the World Championships 2019. The Triple Double (Triple-Tzukahara) on floor and her Double Double beam dismount, also called Double-Tsukahara, will officially be included in the Code de Pointage and named after her.
The podium training is the last rehearsal before the start of the qualification competitions. Teams rotate from one to another apparatus, already in competition order.
Experience Team USA and Simone Biles live starting 8 P.M. in their last training before the Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart 2019.
ROTATION OF THE SUBDIVISION
Subdivision 10, starting at 3.30 P.M.
- Mixed 14: starting on vault
- Argentinia: starting on uneven bars
- Russian Federation: starting on beam
- Mixed 18: starting on floor
Subdivision 12, starting at 8.00 P.M.
- Brazil: starting on vault
- Mixed 19: starting on uneven bars
- Mixed 3: starting on beam
- USA: starting on floor
Subdivision 11, starting at 6.00 P.M.
- Mixed 22: starting on vault
- Hungary: starting on uneven bars
- Switzerland: starting on beam
- Mixed 1: starting on floor
With just five days to go until the start of the championships, the gymnasts, coaches and officials have been arriving from all corners of the globe.
The training halls are in full swing as the gymnasts acclimatise themselves to their temporary home in Stuttgart.
One such gymnast is world and Olympic champion on rings, Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece, who talked about his first impressions of the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.
“We arrived yesterday, so we are just trying to get the feel of the place. Where the training halls are, accreditation and everything,” he says. “We just finished our first training session and everything looks perfect. The organisation so far is fine.”
Petrounias had surgery earlier this year on his left shoulder, for an injury that had been troubling him for some time. It had been a problem at the 2018 world championships in Doha, where he won gold on rings despite the pain.
“It’s getting better,” he says. “It’s going to be ready for qualifications, and even more for the final.”
These world championships are also promoting the new FIG sport of parkour in a big way. Petrounias is all in favour.
“I think it’s a good idea to help parkour,” he says. It’s a very impressive sport, it was without any federation, so why not join the FIG and make it even better.”
Coinciding with these championships is Stuttgart’s famed beer and folk festival, the Cannstatter Wasen, held just across the road from the gymnastics arena. But the gymnasts are probably focussing more on their sport – at least to begin with.
“I had no idea there was a beer festival,” Petrounias exclaims. “We will join them for sure, to celebrate the results of our team!”
The championships start at 9am on Friday 4th with the women’s qualifications.
editor: Sarah Baldwin
If you love gymnastics, there are a million and one reasons that should make every effort to get to Stuttgart. For a start, the German city will be full of gymnastic events, which means there will be shows and opportunities.
One of the biggest is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the USA team training. Here are just a few gymnasts that you won’t want to miss! Join the podium training today to get your preview. Or watch the qualifying rounds, tickets are here.
Which Amercicans to look out for at the Stuttgart Championships.
Simone Biles
Of course, Biles needs absolutely no introduction. She is the best in the world at what she does, and yes, she will be there! One of her biggest achievements came at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where she claimed her sixth US all-around title, which is the first time a this has been achieved by a woman in more than half a century.
Biles is also the most decorated American gymnast ever, a proud accolade to go with her record of being the first American gymnast to win a world medal at every event. We’re all looking forward to seeing what she can achieve next.
Best apparatus: Who can choose? Floor and vault. And she is also our pick for the all-around title, where she is amazing.
Sunisa Lee
Her name might not be known to everyone just yet, but she should be on your radar — it’s only a matter of time! She has already impressed, winning the uneven bars gold medal and the all-around silver medal at the 2019 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships.
Lee is the very first Hmong-American (a minority group descended from southern China) gymnast to compete at her level and has received lots of support from the Hmong community in her hometown in Minnesota. Her career is going from strength to strength, and she strives to honour her community with every event.
Best apparatus: Uneven bars
Grace McCallum
Born in Cambridge, Minnesota, McCallum already has a slew of awards behind her as a 2018 world team champion, the 2018 Pacific Rim senior all-around champion, and the 2018 Pan-American all-around champion. McCallum is one you’ll want to catch in full flow!
Best apparatus: Floor and vault
Sam Mikulak
Mikulak is one of the United States’ best artistic gymnasts and has a cabinet full of awards to prove it. He is the current US all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse, parallel bar and high bar champion.
The horizontal bar world bronze medallist in 2018, Mikulak is a six-time US all-around champion (2013–16 and 2018–19), four-time US parallel bars champion (2013, 2015, 2018–19), and a three-time US high bar champion (2013, 2018–19). Be sure to catch him in action — it really is like watching poetry in motion!
Best apparatus: High bar
The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships will be held from October 4 – 13. People from all over the world will gather in Stuttgart to witness gymnastics history in the making. Here are 5 things you need to know about the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
- For the third time since 1989 and 2007, the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships will be held in Stuttgart at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
- 500 gymnasts from over 90 nations will be competing for ten days (4 through 13 October) with 100,000 spectators.
- A total of 18 team places for the Olympic Games will be awarded (consisting of nine women and nine men)
- At the 2018 Championships in Doha, Simone Biles became the first American to win a medal in every single event at a single World Championships. The last time someone achieved this was in 1987, by Russian Gymnast Yelena Shushunova.
- The first edition of the championships was held in 1903, exclusively for male gymnasts. Since 1934, Women’s events and Men’s events were held together.
Just a few weeks before the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Stuttgart 2019 (4 – 13 October), the winning medals have seen the light of day. The organizing Swabian Gymnastics Federation attached great importance to bringing in the know-how of the region. The project medals “Made in Baden-Württemberg” therefore attracted a lot of celebrities at its premiere. In addition to Minister President Winfried Kretschmann, STB President Wolfgang Drexler, Olympic Champion Fabian Hambüchen and german national team gymnast Elisabeth Seitz, many high-ranking representatives came to Weinstadt near Stuttgart, where the medals were created and produced.
“Just as every great achievement and every victory is something special, so should the medals be awarded to the victorious athletes. The medals express the momentum and movement of gymnastics very clearly and as a joint product of medium-sized, innovative and successful companies they carry a lot of Baden-Württemberg‘s know-how. The company Bernd Kussmaul, the State Mints of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the ribbon weaving mill Bauer, which provided the medals with a sustainable ribbon, stand together with the other participating companies exemplarily for the efficiency of our state. I hope that our gymnasts will be able to take these wonderful medals home with them and look forward to the competitions in Stuttgart”
Wolfgang Drexler, President of the Swabian Gymnastics Federation, which organizes the Gymnastics World Championships together with the German Gymnastics Federation, said: “From the very beginning, we have declared our goal of organizing one of the best Artistic Gymnastics World Championships of all time. The gymnasts will be at the center of attention. Many members of the Gymnastics Team Germany prepare in our training base. It quickly became clear to us that we also wanted to honor this achievement at the award ceremony. From my point of view, this is the best medal that has ever been won at a Artistic Gymnastics World Championship, and in addition with know-how from the state of Baden-Württemberg. What can be a greater incentive for our gymnasts to secure such a medal at home?”
Bernd Kussmaul, who was responsible for the production of the medal with his factory in Weinstadt, was pleased with the many words of praise: “The development process of the medals has a lot in common with the long and intensive preparation of the gymnasts. We are united by discipline, effort, passion and emotion. In production we have mastered many technical challenges. For example, embossing in the air. This has never happened before. But now we have achieved a real wow effect: The medal lives and is dynamic. It has a different appearance from every angle. This is also something very special for us and I can say: the medal fever has broken out in us for a long time”.
Elisabeth Seitz was impressed: “I was involved in the development process myself and have already won some medals in my career. What the people involved have created here is truly extraordinary. This shows how much heart and soul goes into the Worlds in Stuttgart. This also goes down well with us gymnasts and gives us tailwind for the preparation.”
Olympic high bar champion Fabian Hambüchen celebrated a premiere thanks to the 2019 medals: “I’ve already experienced virtually everything there is to experience in gymnastics. But the fact that I was able to personally shape a Worlds medal this morning is also new for me. That was also an absolutely emotional experience for me, which again confirmed me: A medal is always much more than a piece of metal. You work so long, so hard for it. And the medal in Stuttgart does 100 percent justice to this commitment”.
Further information:
The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will be held from 4 – 13 October. People from all over the world will gather in Stuttgart to witness gymnastics history in the making. Here are 5 things you need to know about the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
- For the third time since 1989 and 2007, the 2019 Worlds will be held in Stuttgart at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.
- Nearly 600 gymnasts from over 90 nations will be competing for ten days (4 through 13 October) with 100,000 spectators.
- A total of 18 team places for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be awarded (consisting of nine women and nine men)
- At the 2018 Championships in Doha, Simone Biles became the first American to win a medal in every single event at a single World Championships. The last time someone achieved this was in 1987, by Russian Gymnast Yelena Shushunova.
- The first edition of the championships was held in 1903, exclusively for male gymnasts. Since 1934, Women’s events and Men’s events were held together.
Main Partner
Partner
