Hambüchen’s Dress Rehearsal for 2008 Olympic Games

The World Artistic Gymnastic Championships are taking place in Stuttgart from September 1-9, 2007. The 19-year-old athlete Fabian Hambüchen is widely recognized as one of the top favorites at this competitive event. The top gymnastic apparatus of this young European champion is the high bar. In the upcoming individual and team competitive events, he will also be up against top athletes in other events, including the pommel horse, floor, rings, vault, and bars. September 4th is destined to be the decisive day of competition for Hambüchen. On this day, he will join the other sportsmen on the German team as part of the team competition for all gymnastic apparatus. The best athletes in this event will qualify for the All-Around Final. In turn, the 12 best national men’s and 12 top national women’s teams will each qualify for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

The German Gymnast Association (DTB) will be represented at the competition in Stuttgart with its newly established Children Gymnastics Foundation. In line with the slogan “Headlong with Henkel on behalf of the Children Gymnastics Foundation“, a specially designed stand located in the children gymnastics section will offer fans the opportunity to demonstrate their own athletic skills for a good cause. For every volunteer who successfully manages to do a handstand and walk on his hands, Henkel will donate money to the new foundation for every step the individual makes on his or her hands. The foundation’s declared goal is to encourage children to exercise, and thus promote and support their physical and motor development. The campaign is part of the Henkel Smile program, in which Henkel puts its guiding principle “A Brand like a Friend“ into practice. 

Approximately 150 up and coming young athletes supported by the “Youth Trains for the Olympics“ (JUGEND TRAINIERT FÜR OLYMPIA) initiative will be among the spectators viewing the event and keeping their fingers crossed for the German team.  Since the year 2006, Henkel has been the main sponsor of this initiative. Henkel has also invited the eight national winners of the spring competitive finals hosted by Youth Trains for the Olympics. They will take advantage of the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a world championship event firsthand. 

The Youth Trains for the Olympics competition is doing outstanding work promoting up and coming athletic stars, as well as professional sports and athletics in German schools. It promotes fairness, team spirit, tolerance and social work on behalf of children and young people. Similarly, a commitment to the well-being of society is firmly embedded in the corporate values and history of Henkel. Henkel assumes responsibility for its products, technologies and social environment. For this reason, it has been supporting initiatives in schools as well as in the fields of education, youth and amateur sports, art, culture, health and science for decades.