On 2 August, ICWW hosted the Online Cup with the goal of giving athletes from new nations the opportunity to gain their first experience competing under regular competition conditions and to establish themselves within the international artistic cycling community. Participants from Germany, Belgium, Rwanda, Argentina and Mexico took advantage of this special opportunity to present their performances under competition conditions and gain valuable experience for upcoming events.
The Online Cup was not only a sporting challenge, but also presented a significant technical challenge. The athletes competed from their respective sports halls, while technical experts and judges joined remotely. Considerable technical effort was required behind the scenes to coordinate the competition across several continents. It was therefore all the more pleasing that the entire event ran smoothly and without any technical difficulties.
The competition got underway with Mia and Nele from Germany, who used the Online Cup as a valuable test competition in preparation for their upcoming events.
We then virtually travelled to Rwanda, where we were able to watch the athletes from Jonathan’s training group perform. This year, ICWW is pursuing the goal of having an athlete from Rwanda participate in the World Championships for the first time. It is therefore particularly important to give these athletes the opportunity to gain competition experience at an early stage and under the official rules.
The Online Cup provided an excellent opportunity to do so. The athletes had to perform their exercises in the order submitted beforehand, complete their routines in full, ensure that horizontal legs were actually held horizontally, and comply with all other requirements of the regulations. It was impressive to see the progress the athletes in Rwanda have already made. Steuerrohrsteiger, front handlebar stands and even saddle stands were presented.
After a total of six starts from Rwanda, we continued on to Argentina, where we were able to watch Mabel compete. Both the athletes from Rwanda and Mabel performed their routines outdoors on a hard surface. In Argentina, rain began during the routine, making the conditions not only very cold but also extremely slippery. Despite these difficult circumstances, we were able to enjoy a fantastic performance.
Next came the performance of the Mexican athlete Emiliano, who was connected from Belgium. With an excellent performance, he secured victory in the Men’s 1er category.
We then switched back to Germany and had the opportunity to admire the performance of the Neuenkirchen 4-person team. There are very few opportunities for athletes from South America and Africa to experience the unique diversity and fascination of four-person artistic cycling. We are therefore particularly pleased that the Online Cup provided an opportunity to showcase the different facets of our sport and connect athletes across continents.
To conclude, we connected via video to the training facilities in Mexico. There, the athletes presented their exercises under unusual conditions: they rode around a pillar and performed their exercises between two circles marked with bottles. These images once again demonstrated the dedication and creativity with which artistic cycling is practised around the world.
An event spanning several continents would not have been possible without a dedicated team working behind the scenes. Our special thanks therefore go to Mike Lauterbach and Kay Lauterbach for the technical organisation and implementation. They made it possible for us to follow the athletes live from around the world. Without you, the Online Cup would not have been possible!
We would also like to sincerely thank our judges Andreas Maier, Enrico Krien, Ralf Zellweger, Selina Marquardt and Heike Lauterbach for their commitment, as well as Gracia and Lukas for their engaging and informative commentary.
The ICWW Online Cup impressively demonstrated the potential of digital competition formats. Above all, however, it showed one thing clearly: artistic cycling connects people and athletes all around the world. We look forward to further expanding this international exchange and exploring new opportunities for our sport together.