FIG Awards Gymnastics Championships to Denmark

(ATR) Denmark will increase its profile as a global sports hub with the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) unanimously awarded the 50th edition of the championships to Copenhagen on March 1 after its executive committee met in Lausanne. The championships mark the second time Denmark will host the event, previously staging the 2006 edition in Aarhus.

"With state-of-the-art arenas and venues, the city lends itself perfectly to an event like the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships," Wonderful Copenhagen director of conventions Kit Lykketoft said in a statement from Sport Event Denmark. "In fact, the championships are the latest in a string of sport events that Copenhagen has won the bid to host, which is a testament to its position as one of the most popular sports destinations."

As some of the most watched events during the Olympic Games, the disciplines of artistic gymnastics are expected to captivate audiences at the new Royal Arena that was opened in 2017. More than 1,000 gymnasts will participate in the championships from Oct. 18-24.

"As Hans Christian Andersen has inspired the imagination of thousands of children around the world with his famous tales that give food for thought, I hope that these World Championships will inspire the young generation by showing the values of sport," said FIG President Morinari Watanabe.

The event will be organized by the Danish Gymnastics Federation along with Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the City of Copenhagen and FIG.

"It’s great that the series of significant world championship arrangements in Denmark now gets another part, i.e. the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2021," said Sport Event Denmark CEO Lars Lundov.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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