New opening of a state-of-the-art training hall in Heidelberg

May 23, 2023 Gyms

The Heidelberg Gymnastics Centre was expanded with a modern new building that offers optimal training conditions for athletes. After a good two years of construction, the new hall was ceremoniously opened and is now available for training. The former long-time director of the gymnastics centre, Dieter Hofer, had been pushing for an extension for more than 30 years, which has now finally become reality.

The new building impresses with its wooden construction and passive house standard. With highly insulated walls and triple-glazed windows, the hall is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Covering an area of 1300 square metres, the hall offers a ceiling height of an impressive 10 metres, 3 pits with a total of 109 square metres of open pit system, and thus meets all the requirements of a modern training centre.

The Heidelberg Gymnastics Centre left nothing to chance when equipping the hall. It offers everything that trainers and gymnasts want for optimal training. The highlights of the equipment include:

A 14x14 metre "Moscow" spring floor, which offers the best conditions for floor exercises.
Two vaulting facilities, including one with an open pit system to allow spectacular jumps.
A Spiethway tumbling track, which offers gymnasts versatile exercise options.
A large trampoline embedded in the floor with open pits on two sides for challenging jump combinations.
A 14-metre trampoline track with connection to an open pit.
Men's bars in a special design that allow dismounts into open pits.
Two High Bars, one of them completely over an open pit and another one connected to a closed pit.
Another High Bar over a closed pit, which also offers an integrated Ring frame and methodical high bar.
A unique 10-metre loop pit with an inset men's bar and a shortened ring and horizontal bar.
The entire hall is laid out with a special mat system that ensures a safe training environment with reduced risk of injury.

The planning of the new gymnasium took place in close cooperation with the responsible persons of the city of Heidelberg over several months. During this time, the pits were removed and the state-of-the-art equipment installed. But the hall will not only be available to top athletes. School inclination courses, numerous day-care centres and the Heidelberg gymnastics clubs are also to benefit from the first-class training facilities.

Elisabeth Claas, who joyfully accepted the symbolic key to the new hall, expressed her enthusiasm: "We are thrilled that we can start with new momentum in this special hall." The Heidelberg Gymnastics Centre is ready to usher in a new era of gymnastics and offer all athletes the best possible conditions for their training.