The atmosphere inside the Frankfurt Festhalle has been electric thanks to the stunning performances and passionate fans at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships. And the atmosphere outside the arena is also electric — because it’s simply unbelievably hot. It’s a sweltering summer in Germany, but visitors aren’t letting that stop them from taking advantage of what the Fan Zone has to offer. Sponsors and organisations are providing a wide range of hands-on activities, while food stands, of course, offer plenty of refreshments. Water is understandably a highly sought-after commodity in the Fan Zone, which is accessible even without a World Championships ticket.
Mineral water producer Rosbacher® is feeling this demand more than anyone. Its refrigerators would likely be emptied every ten minutes if the bottles were for sale. They’re available for free, but only after completing a challenge: twirling the ribbon for 10 seconds, rolling the ball across the body, and spinning the hoop. Take Alexandra and Milena from Brussels, for example, who’ve just collected their prize: “The level here is so high — unfortunately, we don’t have that in artistic gymnastics in Belgium,” explain the teenagers, who are gymnasts themselves. As they refresh themselves with their freshly earned Rosbacher they look sympathetically at the long line, stepping quickly aside to the next people try their luck.
There’s also a long line next door at the World Championships’ and DTB’s top sponsor, HYLO®, where quick reflexes are required. Ten magnetic cones gradually detach from a hanging bar and must be caught as they fall. Elodie catches three of them and gets to pick out a small towel. Her t-shirt, emblazoned with “Paris 2024,” a memory of the Olympics in her hometown. Top performances in the reaction game earn a t-shirt; those who get zero correct answers receive gummy bears as a consolation prize; and everyone gets free samples of HYLO® eye drops.
Fan Zone powered by Lotto Hessen
At LOTTO HESSEN, for once, it’s not about six numbers, but about getting five right. Alexander Dutt just took that many shots at a target wall with a ball and won a match against his daughter Laura 2–0. “This is our first time at rhythmic gymnastics. It was a spontaneous decision, and luckily we were able to get some remaining tickets,” explains the Bavarian native, who is rewarded with a pair of yellow sunglasses — just like his daughter. Others are in the running for the grand prize: an Eintracht Frankfurt jersey. “Two brothers from Berlin each scored five times,” explains Jonas, who runs the LOTTO HESSEN booth. “There’s definitely an Olympic vibe here,” he says, enthusiastic about the atmosphere and his first exposure to the sport: “If I ever have a daughter, I can definitely see her doing rhythmic gymnastics.”
Everything a young rhythmic gymnast could want is available in tents set up by several vendors, with shelves and tables overflowing with merchandise. At one of them stands Giuseppe Pascarelli, who is experiencing his 16th World Championships and, as a World Championships sponsor, says with satisfaction: “The collaboration with the German Gymnastics Federation is going wonderfully.”
The DTB itself has also set up a tent in the Fan Zone, which draws a particularly large crowd on Saturday evening thanks to a very special event: an autograph session with Anastasia Simakova, Lada Pusch, and the Germany group that had just rocked the Festhalle with two powerful routines.
Nearby, Sabrina and Christian from “SportPride” are raising awareness about queer inclusion in sports; next door, the National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany (NADA) is offering insights into its work; and on the other side, there’s plenty of drawing going on. At the gymnastics equipment manufacturer SPIETH, paper and pens are laid out, which Yefrosyniia uses to write: “RSG – Let’s go Ukraine and Germany!” A peaceful message from the Ukrainian child.
Sporthilfe brought other sports to the Fan Zone: a biathlon simulation with a laser rifle, and a mini-table tennis table covered with many autographs that are expected to fetch a high price at an auction for a good cause. “The crowd here is very positive,” says Linus Scheer, who also enjoys letting fans take a souvenir photo at the photo booth and solve a puzzle beforehand: five pieces of sports equipment that must be matched to five top speeds ranging from 170 to 493 km/h. Here’s a hint: The badminton feather… sorry… shuttlecock is guaranteed to be misclassified among the hockey puck, as well as tennis, golf and table tennis balls.
If you want to relax your overheated muscles, BLACKROLL® is the place to go. There, eight compression boots perk up tired legs. Clara Scheufler has truly earned this special treatment. “I rode my bike here!” From Munich - 600 kilometres in six days, with a few detours. She also has World Championship experience on a bike: as a unicycle freestyler. In addition to the powerful black leg compressors, the World Championships sponsor naturally also has the eponymous rollers available in all varieties.
Back in the hustle and bustle of the Fan Zone, people are spinning a (lucky) wheel with gusto at a booth. “Public transit without limits” is the RMV (Rhine-Main Transport Authority) motto, and as she slides the last pair of sunglasses across the counter, Sabine Slater says, “People are so happy to get the cards and posters featuring the national team.” All of these are prizes for a spin on the wheel of fortune, in front of which a long line has formed despite the blazing sun.
Across the way, things are also heating up — and not just because the blue gymnastics mats are now hot to the touch under the sun. That doesn’t stop the kids from letting loose as “Gymnastics Warriors” at the area set up by the Hessian Gymnastics Association. Ninja style instead of elegance — in contrast to the style of competition in the Festhalle. At the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, there really is something for everyone.
