Wheel gymnastics has been practiced in Switzerland since the 1980s. The country has produced multiple world champions in the sport.
History Wheel gymnastics has been practiced in Switzerland since the 1980s, when the first competitions were also held in the country. The "Gymnaestrada 1982", held in Zürich, provided the foundation for international cooperation in wheel gymnastics. In 1992, the first European Championships were held in Liestal. Switzerland is also a co-founder of the International Wheel Gymnastics Federation (IRV), which was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Bern.
Switzerland hosted the 4th World Championships in Liestal in 2004, followed by the 8th edition in Baar in 2009, and the 13th edition in Magglingen in 2018.
Rhönradswiss "Rhönradswiss" is the national governing body for wheel gymnastics in Switzerland. It coordinates and organizes the sport nationally.
National Squad Rhönradswiss supports athletes in competitive sport through its national squad, which is divided into Squad A (higher performance) and Squad B (lower performance). Squad members train together across four different weekends throughout the year.https://rhoenradswiss.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SANK_Version_2026.1-oeffentliche-Version.pdf retrieved 24.07.2026
Competition system Switzerland utilizes its own competition system for national events, while routines and vaults are scored according to the international "Code of Points" set by the IRV. National competitions feature five performance levels: Level Basic, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level Elite.
In Level Basic, gymnasts are restricted to elements with a maximum difficulty rating of A (0.2); Level 1 allows elements up to difficulty B (0.4), and so forth. In addition to the three individual disciplines (straight line, spiral, and vault), Level Elite offers an all-around competition, where scores from all three disciplines are combined. Gymnasts may select their level regardless of age and gender. Prior to 2018, categories were divided by gender and age group (e.g., Juniors, Youth Male/Female, Adults Male/Female).
The national season includes the following annual competitions:
Herbstpokal (October, Zürich-Affoltern) Chlauscup (December, Untersiggenthal) Baselbietercup (January, Hölstein) Breitlicup (March, Buochs) Schachen Cup (May, Bonstetten)
Swiss Championships Gymnasts can qualify for the Swiss Championships (held in March/April) through performance at the four qualification events. The championships are held at a different location each year, including the 2026 event held in Baar on May 3, 2026. +Swiss Champions 2026Level 1Level 2Level 3Level Elite YouthLevel Elite SeniorStraight LineAyana ThalerLea KarliAmelie StiefmeierNadine Kamm–Straight Line w. Music–Siria SuterTimon Peter–Cheyenne RechsteinerSpiralXenia BötschiValeria MurerMena KoblerNadine KammCheyenne RechsteinerVaultKim FornallazLena ItinXenia BötschiTimon PeterManuel RothAll-Around–––Timon Peter Nadine KammCheyenne Rechsteiner Simon Rufener
International achievements
Team World Championship Switzerland qualified for the 2026 Team World Championship in Salzburg based on its performance at the World Championships. YearJuniorsSeniors20251st Place4th Place20233rd Place2nd Place2019–3rd Place2017–1st Place2014–2nd Place2012–4th Place2010–4th Place2006–4th Place2004–4th Place2002–5th Place
World Champions
Cécile Meschberger: Straight Line (2007) Cheyenne Rechsteiner: Straight Line (2015), Spiral (2018, 2024) Simon Rufener: Straight Line (2022, 2024, 2026), All-Around (2022, 2024, 2026), Spiral (2026) Timon Peter: Straight Line (2024), All-Around (2024) Elea Peter: Straight Line (2026)
External links
References