The Euro Flip: Gymnastics Culture Abroad

France: Top 12

The Top 12 League is France’s version of competitive elite gymnastics in a team format, furthering the belief in the importance of a team atmosphere in gymnastics rather than strictly individual competitions. Organized by the Fédération Française de Gymnastique (FFGym), the 12 best clubs in France are split into 4 groups of 3 teams who battle in duels. A duel is defined as one athlete’s routine versus an athlete from a different team’s routine on the same apparatus, where the winner receives 3 points and the loser receives just 1 point. Each match is head-to-head between any two teams, though the cumulated points from each team are tallied up throughout the “qualifying phase” of the season. At the end of each qualifying phase, the top team out of each group qualifies to the semi-finals. The remaining four teams then have separate head-to-head matches, where the winners will earn a spot in the final and a shot at the Championship. 

Additionally, the structure of the match changes depending on the phase of the season. During qualifying, each match is 4 duels on only 3 apparatus. This means just 12 total routines for each team, and a match is only covering half of the 6 competitive events. However, this changes for semi-final and final matches. In these postseason-esque matches, there are 3 duels on all 6 apparatus. Semi-finals and Finals matches are essentially a head-to-head competition with 3-up, 3-count per apparatus per team. 

As the 2024-2025 season has recently concluded, here’s a look at the standings of each group prior to the semi-finals phase. 

1. Orleans (108)

2. Noisy Le Grand (98)

3. Tremblay En France (82)

1. Vallauris (114)

2. Sotteville (88)

3. Kingersheim (86)

1. La Madeleine (104)

2. Franconville (99)

3. Monaco (75)

1. Antibes (105)

2. Bourges (96)

3. Oullins (87)

The Semi-final matches were held on March 15, with La Madeleine defeating Orleans 40-32 in the first bout. Then, in a rematch of last year’s Final, Vallauris topped Antibes to continue their hopes to win back-to-back Titles. The Final was held on March 30, with Vallauris defeating La Madeleine 38-34 and completing their dominant season to end with a repeated Championship! Leo Saladino proved clutch for the team, earning 14 points overall, mainly thanks to floor, vault and parallel bars. 

The Final and all other replay coverage of the Top 12 can be found on https://magymtv.ffgym.fr/. 

Italy: Serie A

In Italy, the premier governing body is labeled Federazione Ginnastica d'Italia (FGI). The FGI has organized and derived Serie A into what is now seen as the most coveted Championship in their Nation. Similar to Top 12, this league is also primarily a team-focused league. Serie A is one league with three divisions of teams: Serie B, Serie A2, and Serie A1. These divisions are inherently performance-based tiers, with the goal being to work from Serie B up into Serie A1 and avoid relegation. 

The 2025 season began February 8, and there have been three competitions to compare results thus far. In the top league, the three best teams are currently: 

1. Gymnastic Romagna Team A.S.D. (713.650)

2. A.S.D. Ginnastica Pro Carate (696.500)

3. A.S.D. Ginnastica Salerno (679.600)

These numbers are the teams’ cumulative scores of the season thus far. During these meets, the ‘regular season’, team scores are calculated by the top 3 counting scores per apparatus per team, a rather common scoring format. At the end of the regular season, each of the top 6 cumulative-scoring teams advance to the ‘Final Six.’ For some lower scoring teams, they may also face relegation after the regular season’s conclusion. 

The Final Six battle is slightly different from regular season meets. This is a new format created to make for a more exciting atmosphere within Serie A as a whole. These teams all battle on the same day, but in two groups of three teams. Essentially, the U.S. equivalent would be flight A and flight B at local gymnastics competitions. The top team in each group, or flight, then advances to the Final.  This may lead to some strategy by the teams for the first round of the final six. The goal is to win your group and top the other two teams competing next to you. The Championship bout, especially in recent years, is a high-energy competition with great competitiveness. 

What makes Serie A as a whole so interesting, though, is its relegation and promotion system each year. This system reinforces the foundational gymnastics idea of never-ending development for the top teams, while giving the lower teams a true sense of urgency in their training or competing. Again, to make a U.S. comparison, a team vying for Serie A1 may be comparable to an individual vying to be sponsored on the U.S. National Team. 

This season, the FGI reached a new deal with a streaming service to provide Serie A coverage for free! This season’s Championship will be held on May 4, free to watch on https://tv.sportface.it/. Additionally, the official website for the FGI can be found at https://www.federginnastica.it/.

Germany: DTL

Arguably the most renowned European league is The Deutsche Turnliga (DTL). Forming originally in 1997, the DTL has blossomed into a true international prize, even for some U.S. athletes like Yul Moldauer. The focus for this league has always been based on modernity, innovation, and development. Many think this league is responsible for beginning the trend of progressive scoring systems in gymnastics, first introducing duels in 2003. 

The DTL is split into German Bundesliga divisions, a format notorious for being used in a number of different sports. Similar to Serie A, there is an element of relegation and promotion in the Bundesliga as well. The 1st Bundesliga division Championship is fought and earned through countless years of training and determination. 

This league’s season is nearly year-round, often spanning across 7-9 months with most competitions placed near the end of the season. In 2024, the December 7 Finale saw KTV Straubenhardt earn the Championship led by three-time Olympian Lukas Dauser. This team is a true powerhouse with two other Paris Olympians as well, including the force that is Ilia Kovtun. Andrea Toba and his TV Wetzgau claimed silver, and TG Saar rounded out the podium. 

The 2025 season is set to begin April 12 and all standings can be found on https://www.deutsche-turnliga.de/bundesliga/maenner/tabelle.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Additional news for all German Gymnastics can be found on https://www.gymmedia.de/rhoenradturnen.