Also the 23rd anniversary of one of the top level international talent event of artistic gymnastics will held in the German city of Cottbus.
The Japanese and Italian delegations are are welcomed at the first in Cottbus, today...!
The  XXIII. INTERNATIONALEN G W G - GUP  2008 , which will held September 20 - 21 at the Lausitz arena, the same venue, like the traditional "Cottbus World Cup Event, every spring.
The organizers will welcom teams and participants from Japan and 16 other leading European countries and also the German hosts will come with there best young nale gymnasts from their four leading clubs...
The German co. baenfer will support the GYMmedia reports...:

* S C H E D U L E
  (Cottbus, Lausitz-Arena)
_____________________________________________________
- Saturday, Sep 20
   09.30 am * age group, born 1997– 1994
   14.30 am  * age group, born 1993– 1990

- Sunday, Sep 21
    10.00 am, FINALS, * age groups 1997 - 1994 & 1993 -1990

The O2 Arena, London 13th-18th October 2009
British Gymnastics are thrilled to announce that the 41st  World Artistic Gymnastic Championships will be coming to "The O2 in London"  in October 2009. This will be the first time the event has ever been held in the capital and a welcome return to the United Kingdom after a decade away.
Beijing 2008 has shown the huge potential and talent of our young gymnasts and has also put interest in gymnastics at an all time high. ...

2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
** Schedule:

* Tuesday 13th October         - Men’s Qualification:
* Wednesday 14th October  - Women’s Qualification

* Thursday 15th October:  - Men’s All Around Final

* Friday Friday 16th October - Women’s All Around Final

* Saturday, 17th October: Apparatus Finals I
   - Men’s Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings
   - Women’s Vault, Uneven Bars

* Sunday, 18th October: Apparatus Finals II
   - Men's Vault, Parallel Bars, High Bar
   - Women's Balance Beam, Floor

Six-time Romanian world champion (2001 - 2006), the  gymnast Marian DRAGULESCU, is retiring because of health reasons and plans to become a trainer.

One of the world's top vaulters, the 28-year-old Marian Dragulescu said Thursday, that he would retire after medical tests revealed he had chronic back problems.
To the Romanian press he said, that he would likely train young gymnasts for the Dinamo Bucharest club.

Dragulescu was bitterly upset when he failed to clinch a medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saying " ....my soul broke" after he fell on the landing of his second vault attempt at the Olympic Final event in Beijing.
That came after a first vault attempt gave him the highest score of all finalists and set his sights on the gold.

Olympic Artistic Gymnastics „LIVE in Leverkusen“
Femal Gymnasts from 10 Nations will fight for the  „Leverkusen Cup 2008“ 
Some weeks after the end of the Olympic Games the German "Turn-Club 72 Leverkusen" will organize the 33rd anniversary of one of the most traditional European artistic gymnastics event,
the "2008 LEVERKUSEN CUP"- at Saturday, October 18.

Once again, like the last years, will start a lot of participants of the Europeans, Wolds and Olympic competitions, just as members of national elite and junior teams, representing these 9 Nations (10 teams):
Last year's winner and Cup defender Italy, Australia, Belgium, host Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovenia, Republic of South Africa and Hungary....

Nominativ Entry (2008, October 10):

* BELGIUM - Royal Belgian Gymnastics Federation
- Julien Eggermont
- Antje Van De Velde
- Eline Vandersteen

* GERMANY - Selection
- Lisa Katharina Hill (Olympiakader 2008)
- Nadine Jarosch (Deutsche Schülermeisterin 2008)
- Elisabeth Seitz (Juniorenmeisterin 2008, Finalteilnehmerin Jugend-EM am Barren)
Ersatz: Joeline Möbius (Nationalmannschaft Deutschland: WM-Teilnehmerin 2007, EM-Teilnehmerin 2008, Olympiateilnehmerin 2008)

* GREAT BRITAIN - England Gymnastics
- Nina Dearman
- Laura Edwards 
- Claire Stock

* ITALY - Ginnastica Artistica Lissonese
- Emily Armi - Carlotta Ferito
- Andrea Foti

* Lithuania - Lithuanian Gymnastics Federation
- Laura Svilpaite (EM-Teilnehmerin 2008)

* NETHERLANDS I - Flik-Flak Den Bosch
- Vera van Pol (6. Platz Niederländische Jugendmeisterschaft 2007; Jugendvizemeisterin Sprung 2007)
- Maud Peeters
- Nadieh van Pol
- Ersatz: Julie Dignouts (Niederländische Vizemeisterin Jugend 2007)

*  NETHERLANDS II - Dynamic Gymnastics Den Helder
- Shalina Groenveld
- Lisenka Bakker
- Elaine van der Ven Ersatz: Quincy de Vries

* SLOVENIA - GD Zelena Jama
- Tjasa Kysselef (M-Teilnehmerin 2008)
- Fiona Novak (EM-Teilnehmerin 2008)
- Teja Belak (EM-Teilnehmerin 2008)

* REP. SOUTH AFRICA - SA Gymnastics Federation
- Ashleigh Heldsinger (Nationalmannschaft Südafrika)
- Chantel Swan (Nationalmannschaft Südafrika)
- Claudia Cummins (Nationalmannschaft Südafrika)

* HUNGARY - Torna Club Becescsaba
- Szimonetta Kekegyi (Ungarische Mannschaftsmeisterin 2008)
- Lilla Lukacsi - Evelin Csiszar

Croatia's two Olympic medalists received warm welcome on their respective home towns soon after their return from Beijing.
Nearly 3,000 people gathered in the central square of the northern Croatian town of Cakovec to welcome the best Croatian gymnast, Filip Ude, who won a silver medal in the men's pommel horse in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the Croatian state news agency HINA reported.
Addressing the people who gathered to welcome him back to his home town, Ude thanked his mother, sisters and coaches in an emotionally-charged speech.
A program with popular music bands and folklore ensembles was performed in his honor. The town of Cakovec and Medjimurje County have decided to award Ude with a flat. The 22-year-old Ude is the first Croatian gymnastic Olympic medalist since Croatia gained its independence in 1991 from the former Yugoslavia.

2007 World champion (vault) Leszek Blanik became Olympic champion in the vault and won the third gold medal for Poland at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 
He is the first athlete not from China to win a gold medal in men's gymnastics at the Olympics in Beijing.
Blanik’s is the first gold Poland has ever one in Olympic gymnastics. He dedicated his victory to his son, kissed the boy's picture and showed it to the fans.
Poland's Leszek Blanik beat France's Thomas Bouhail for the gold after both had identical scores."I don't know exactly why I won, I think this is special rules for judges," said Blanik. "I don't know what's different. I'm only a gymnast."
Poland finished the Beijing 2008 Olympics with a haul of ten medals - three gold, six silver and one bronze. The number of medals is the same as four years ago in Athens, although there the Poles won less silver (two) and more bronze (five). >> GYMmedia Olympic Website

A little bit under the shade of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing took place a course for artistic gymnastics coaches in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Almost 50 Coaches participated at this course.
Course leader was Member of the Technical Committee and Chairman of the Board of Coach Education of the German Gymnastics Federation, Dr. Flavio Bessi who was invited by the local federation to his former birth city in order to do a course.

One of the local organizators, María Fernanda Rizzo, said: “All participants are so happy and content. It was the first course in years and we are very glad to have had such success.”

She emphasized that Dr. Bessi will be always at home there and that the local federation will continue with this kind of courses which the German Argentinean scientist and coach will be certainly invited to.

This way the teaching activity of the German expert continues abroad: this year there were already courses in Norway, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Argentina.

INVESTIGATION IN PROCESS

fig-press relase: --- The Executive Committee members of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) held an extraordinary meeting today August 23, to discuss the age of Chinese female gymnasts. ...

* FIG Office: --- The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced on July 30 th, 2008 that the gymnast Tim McNeill (artistic gymnastics) was tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide (glucocorticostreroïd) on May 24th, 2008. He accepted a public warning for this first offence.
The doping offence involved the use of a prescribed anti-inflammatory medication under the care of a physician.

* ... >> GYMmedia News 30-Jul-2008

The European Gymnastics Service "GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL" is providing reports from the "Games of the XXIX Olympiad 2008" in Beijing, concentrating particularly on news about the three gymnastics disciplines ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS, TRAMPOLINE and RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS.
* This service is being supported by the leading manufacturers of gymnastics equipment in these disciplines,
- Janssen-Fritsen (NED) - artistic gymnastics;
- Eurotramp (GER) - trampoline;
- SPIETH Gymnastik (GER) - rhythmic gymnastics.
* ... Games of the XXIX. OLYMPIADE, Beijing 2008 are closed ...!

* GYMmedia Olympic Website:  
                            " ... see You in Beijing!