Welcome!

Greeting from the Chairwoman of the Science Commission

Dear gymnasts,
dear coaches,
dear students,
dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Chair of Neuroscience in Sport and Exercise, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this year's Freiburg International Gymnastics Days. We at the Institute of Sport and Sport Science are proud to be hosting this prestigious event for the 18th time.

Originally launched as a small training event for coaches and trainers, this event has developed into an internationally recognised meeting for experts from all over the world. We have already welcomed guests from 27 countries, including some of the most outstanding scientists in the field.

We are also delighted that both the umbrella organisation, the German Gymnastics Federation, and the state gymnastics associations value the importance of the International Freiburg Gymnastics Days in the overall training programme and recognise attendance at the congress for licence renewal.

The overwhelming response and the unbroken acceptance of this annual event reflect the excellent reputation that the gymnastics expertise of our dedicated employees has enjoyed in the past and continues to enjoy far beyond the borders of Freiburg.

One of the initiators of this event in 2006 and its main organiser since the beginning, Dr Flavio Bessi, works intensively for months with highly motivated students in the elective subject of event management. Every year, they guarantee an eventful and instructive weekend with the selected speakers.

The Institute of Sport and Sport Science remains committed to its goal of building a bridge between science and practice and establishing Freiburg nationally and internationally as a central contact point for gymnastics.

With this in mind, I wish the participants of the XVIII. International Apparatus Gymnastics Days in Freiburg instructive hours and enriching moments in the diverse workshops and lectures. May this event give you many new ideas and inspiration for your sports practice or your research projects.


Yours

Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting

Professor of Neuroscience in Sport and Exercise