Wheel Gymnastics

Wheel gymnastics is a fascinating sport performed with a movable gymnastics apparatus. In Germany, approximately 5,900 individuals actively participate in this sport. As a competitive discipline, wheel gymnastics is practiced in three performance classes (Youth Class, Regional Class+, and National Class) under the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB). 

The wheel apparatus, patented by Otto Feick in 1925, is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025. It consists of two parallel steel hoops connected by rungs. Since the 1970s, the steel hoops have been coated with PVC, allowing for gymnastics in sports halls. Both the athlete and the apparatus move together on a flat surface. Practitioners use the wheel to execute typical elements and dance movements on, in, or around it. There are three disciplines with varying requirements: 

● Straight-line gymnastics (with/without music) 
● Spiral gymnastics 
● Vault 

The German Championship is the highest national competition, while internationally, it's the World Championships. In addition to individual competitions (single and multiple events), there are national and international team competitions in wheel gymnastics.