Appreciation
Team player, haven of calm, role model: Christian Baumann was more than just an artistic gymnast
The world could probably end – Christian Baumann would probably still keep calm. A look back at an impressive career that not only made him stronger.
You could start with your successes. But to understand how essential Christian Baumann has been for Swiss artistic gymnastics over the past 18 years, it’s worth taking a look behind the scenes.
Christian Baumann ended his career at the Swiss Cup last Saturday.
Image: Claude Diderich/Freshfocus
It is October 2023. The World Cup is taking place in Antwerp. The title fights are also qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris. And things aren’t going well for the Swiss. Baumann’s teammate Luca Giubellini remembers: “When I did poorly on the horse, I was extremely disappointed because so much was at stake. Then he came to me, calmed me down and built me up. Then he got on the horse, showed an incredibly strong performance and led the team towards Olympic qualification.”
The world could probably end – Christian Baumann would still keep calm. David Huser, who is head of the Olympic mission in the Swiss Gymnastics Association, says: “His inner calm and sincere character created an environment in which everyone could feel comfortable, not only in competition but also in everyday life. This will be missed by the team, but will continue to inspire them.”
Baumann did gymnastics like he lived
18 years ago, Christian Baumann took part in a Swiss championship for the first time as a junior. Last weekend he competed in his last competition at the Swiss Cup in Zurich’s Hallenstadion. And he remained – how could it be otherwise – calm. Just like always. Teammate Taha Serhani says: “This calmness is one of the reasons why he was so strong.”
Baumann was vice European champion in 2015 on parallel bars, he won European Championship bronze three times (2016 on horseback and with the team, 2021 on parallel bars), he took part in the Olympic Games twice and won a diploma with the team in Tokyo in 2021. He himself says: “All in all, I had a fantastic career. I am very proud of everything I was able to experience and achieve.”
In 2015, Christian Baumann (right) won European Championship silver on parallel bars in Montpellier.
Build: Ian Langsdon / EPA
Baumann did gymnastics the way he lived: always carefully. He hardly made any mistakes in the competitions. He practiced what he showed until he mastered it almost perfectly. Luca Giubellini says: “Everyone can learn something from his training ethics and his serious training attitude.” As a gymnast, Baumann rarely stood for spectacle. He was a craftsman. His training colleague Anny Wu says: “It was impressive how consistently, calmly and calmly ‘Bümi’ did his daily job.”
He himself says: “It’s part of it that sometimes it hurts or you don’t feel like it. Nevertheless, artistic gymnastics is a very cool sport.” Baumann discovered his passion for gymnastics at TV Lenzburg. “But I never had the thought of becoming a professional at some point. I did it because I enjoyed it. As a junior there were also boorish years.”
He rarely showed his other side
So there is, after all, the slightly wilder side of Christian Baumann. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll come across this. Teammate Benjamin Gischard says: “He can also do things differently, but you experience that more in the outcome. I have a story or two up my sleeve…” He doesn’t reveal too much, but honey schnapps once played a key role.
However, everyday life as an artistic gymnast is usually characterized by hard work and discipline. Baumann lived like this almost his entire life. He says: “So far everything has been planned. I’m looking forward to switching off my head now.” He’s taking a break at least until the end of the year. Then a new chapter should begin. One that should initially have nothing to do with artistic gymnastics. “I’ve seen the inside of gyms for long enough,” he says.
At the 2023 World Cup, Christian Baumann (front center) secured the Swiss team’s Olympic ticket for Paris.
Bild: Daniela Porcelli / Freshfocus
Baumann recently completed further training in the area of web design. It is a topic that would interest him. But nothing has been decided yet. He can also show that he has completed commercial training with a vocational qualification. And at some point, Baumann says, he could imagine working as a trainer in artistic gymnastics. However, he doesn’t want to force it. “At the moment I’m happy if I can get some distance from the magnesia dust.”
He had long felt that his path as an active gymnast would end this year. “As a gymnast, you think in terms of four-year Olympic cycles,” says Baumann. And continuing until Los Angeles 2028 didn’t seem realistic to him. “At 29, I’m already in old age as an artistic gymnast,” he says. “And the young gymnasts are getting better and better.”
He will be missed by Swiss artistic gymnastics. David Huser says: “His modesty and team spirit have made him an indispensable member of our team. He was always a role model and someone the team could rely on.” He was rock solid.
