Double Gold for Switzerland and Germany

The All Around Finals at the 2024 Wheel Gymnastics World Championships cast a spell of enchantment over the public. Where should we look first? This proved to be a difficult decision with so much going on at the same time. Right from the start we were spoiled for choice, being treated to one highlight after the other. While the senior women kicked off with their straight-line routines to music, the junior boys and girls started on vault and spiral respectively. There were twisting somersaults in vault on one side of the gym, handsprings in spiral on the other side, while the women stole the main attention with their creative straight-line routines to music.

There was so much to applaud. Take Kira Homeyer’s music programme, an enchanting routine about a distressed girl, packed with creativity and maximum difficulty. Kira received an amazing 17,28 points for her performance – the first step towards Gold in the All Around competition. The podium was completed by Cheyenne Rechsteiner (Silver, Switzerland) and Elle Sophie Köhler (Bronze, Germany).

The junior girls’ Gold also went to Germany, where Sophie Julius ended the competition almost a full point ahead of the other contenders. Silver and Bronze both went to Israel.

The men’s All Around competitions were dominated by Switzerland. In the junior category, Timon Peter received the highest score in straight-line. His flawless routine earned him 16,80 points and gave him a head start over his competitors, despite the highest spiral score going to the host country’s Aquila Ziddah and contributing to his overall Silver. Bronze was won by Bero Schröter from Germany.

Meanwhile, in the men’s senior All Around competition, the reigning champion – Simon Rufener from Switzerland – was able to successfully defend his title. Dancing, cheering and tumbling in the wheel in his colorful costume during his music routine, a good spiral and a vault with high difficulty, secured him Gold ahead of Johannes Stolper from Germany and his own Swiss teammate Laurin Gerber.

The atmosphere was already electric, but the final Cyr Battle took it one stage further. In four battle rounds, the new World Champion Lea Toran Jenner, former World Champion Hauke Narten, current Silver medalist Sandra Heidingsfelder and Bronze medalist Cyrus Luciano gave everything they had. This additional side event to the All Around finals is a definite hit for the audience, and the battle was won by Hauke Narten with his entertaining and surprising Cyr tricks.

For a full overview of the results for the All Around Finals, see the IRV Event Page.