In the end, it’s actually about who can lift the bronze artistic gymnastics figure as a trophy. Actually. For the most part, however, it is a show competition with grades that are distributed, or to put it in the words of Christian Baumann, the Swiss artistic gymnastics veteran: “The Swiss Cup format is a refreshing change, which is primarily due to the fun and the cooperation between the athletes is impressive.”
This year there are 20 artistic gymnasts from 11 different countries. Switzerland is with the Switzerland I teams Anny Wu/Matteo Giubellini and Switzerland II Stefanie Siegenthaler/Florian Langenegger at the start. A small round-the-world trip for participants will then start from Switzerland to France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Algeria, Brazil, the USA and the Netherlands.
Mixed team Algeria/Switzerland
The colorful mix of countries of the Swiss Cup is then in a duo Nemour/Baumann perfectly reflected. The Algerian-French dual citizen and uneven bars Olympic champion in Paris, Kaylia Nemour and the Swiss bar specialist Christian Baumannwhich is giving its gala farewell performance from the top sports stage with the Swiss Cup, gymnastics together as a mixed team and fight as «Team B’amour» um the Bronze Statue of the Swiss Cup.
Austria
Selina Kickinger and Matiev Askhab represent Austria in Zurich. The 23-year-old from Innsbruck has already taken part in a World Cup and a European Championship three times and was in the all-around final at the European Championships in Rimini this year. There she was 24th. She is competing at the Swiss Cup together with Matiev Askhab, who is one year younger. The native Russian was 30 times Austrian junior and youth champion in the all-around and on the individual apparatus, but missed qualifying for Paris and thus his big goal for this year.
France
The duo is for France Morgane Osyssek-Reimer and Leo Saladin at the start. Morgane (22) won the bronze medal with France at the 2023 European Championships and 2024 World Championships and was part of the Olympic team in Paris. Her partner Léo Saladino, also 22, won the silver medal on vault at the World Challenge Cup in Paris in 2023. In 2020 he was the first Frenchman and only the fifth gymnast ever to do a “Miller” on the floor (double somersault backwards with a triple twist).
Deutschland
The Germans join in Lea Marie Quaas and Luke Dauser to. The two form one of the two old-young duos at this Swiss Cup and Lukas Dauser shows that, even at 31, he is still fit enough to take part in this top-class competition. His gymnastics partner, who is 12 years his junior, brings the youthful energy into the couple and can benefit from Dauser’s experience. He won an Olympic diploma on parallel bars at the Olympic Games in Paris. At the 2023 World Cup he became world champion in the same discipline.
Italy
The Italians come to Zurich from the south Angela Andreoli and the Italian Mario Macchiati. 18-year-old Angela from Brescia was part of the historic women’s team that won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. She also won the European Championships with the team in 2022 and 2024. Before she became an artistic gymnast, she was an enthusiastic footballer. After watching the film “Parallel Lives,” she decided to become an artistic gymnast. Her partner Mario Macchiati was also successful with the men’s team in Paris. So the Italians and the 24-year-old got a diploma with 6th place.
Netherlands
Gymnastics for the Netherlands Naomi Visser and Jermain Grünberg. The 23-year-old Naomi was voted athlete of the year in her home town of Papendrecht 10 years ago. A decade later, she came tenth in the all-around at the Olympic Games in Paris, thereby achieving her goal of taking part in the 2024 Olympics. A nice compensation for missing the Games in Tokyo 2020 because of a positive corona test. Jermain, who is only a year older, subordinates everything to his dream, the Olympic Games. «Even though my days are pretty boring and don’t consist of much more than training, I’m willing to make this sacrifice. If my friends are partying and I have training the next day, then I don’t go. I want to be fit so I can get better.” The 10th place in the team all-around at the Olympic Games in Paris this year proves his attitude right.
Brazil
With Team Brazil we then leave the European continent and find ourselves on the other side of the Atlantic. Julia Soares and Caio Souza represent their colors in Zurich spreading the South American flair of the Copa Cabana in Zurich’s Hallenstadion. The two are the second old-young duo alongside the Germans and here too the difference is 12 years between the 31-year-old Caio Souza and the 19-year-old Julia Soares. The Brazilian, known by the nickname “Julinha”, won the floor competition at the World Cup in Baku 2022 and won the bronze medal with the team in Paris at the Olympic Games. A balance beam element has been named after her since 2021. The «Soares» is a reverse flic-flac from the Reuters board across the bar with a half turn to the candlestick position on the bar. Caio Souza was the first Brazilian to win gold in the all-around at the Pan American Games and to win at least one medal on all apparatus in the World Cup. Unfortunately, he missed the Paris Olympics.
USA
Her father actually wanted her to become a figure skater, but Leanne Wong didn’t like falling on the hard ice. That’s why she became an artistic gymnast. And is successful with it. In 2022 she injured her ankle a week before the World Cup in Liverpool. She was still able to take part and won gold with the team. She repeated this success a year later in Antwerp. Her motto “Train like a crazy person or stop” also applies to her partner Aydon «Fuzzy» Benas. He trains up to 25 hours a week to achieve his dream of taking part in the Olympic Games.
