Wheel gymnastics (German:
Rhönradturnen) is a form of
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...
that originated in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Wheel gymnasts do
exercises in a large
wheel or
hoop known as the Rhönrad, gymnastics wheel, gym wheel, or German wheel, in the beginning also known as ayro wheel, aero wheel, and Rhon rod.
Wheel design
The large wheel consists of two circles in parallel, which are framed together with six spokes. Two are simple tubes, two are equipped with a handle and two have a footrest. The diameter of the wheel depends on the length of the gymnast, so that the gymnast can hold themself on the grips when fully stretched. The wheels are available from a diameter of 130 to 245cm. The wheels weigh between 40 and 60 kg. They are available in several depths and colors.
History
The wheel was invented in 1925 by
Otto Feick in
Schönau an der Brend. The grandson of a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...
, Feick was inspired by the memory of an event from his childhood in
Reichenbach, when he had tied sticks between two
hoops that his grandfather had made and rolled down a hill.
[
He filed for a patent as "wheel-gymnastic and sports equipment". He had invented the wheel in Ludwigshafen am Rhein 1920–1922, on the grounds of the VSK Germania, a sports club, of which he was the founding chairman. The patent was issued on 8 November 1925; the name "Rhönrad" has been registered and protected since 1926 (" Rhön" is the name of the mountain region where the wheel was invented).
The Rhönrad was featured at the ]GeSoLei
The GeSoLei (german: Große Ausstellung Düsseldorf 1926 für Gesundheitspflege, soziale Fürsorge und Leibesübungen) was the largest trade fair in Germany during the Weimar Republic. It attracted 7.5 million visitors. The name was constructed fro ...
trade fair
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...
held in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...
in 1926.[
In 1936, this sport was shown at the ]Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
in Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, but was not presented as an Olympic discipline.
The focus of wheel gymnastics remains largely in Germany, but there are wheel groups in several countries and every 2 years the International Wheel Gymnastics Federation holds a World Championships competition.[ Former world champion wheel gymnast Wolfgang Bientzle moved from Germany to Chicago and runs his own company WHEEL JAM to educate and train people of every age to do Wheel gymnastics.][
]
See also
* Cyr wheel
* Sport in Germany
Sport in Germany is an important part of German culture and their society.
In 2006 about 28 million people were members of the more than 2 sport clubs in Germany. Almost all sports clubs are represented by the German Olympic Sports Federation.
...
* Wheel of Steel
References
External links
* http://www.usawheelgymnastics.com/
* http://www.rhoenrad.com/
http://www.rhonrad.eu/
Circus skills
Gymnastics
German inventions
Sports originating in Germany
1925 in sports
1925 in Germany
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