WestLotto's Elite Riders 2024: Lottery agency champions female bike racer
WestLotto and the State Sports Association NRW annually assist up to eight budding talents from diverse sports fields. Among these, artistic cyclist Antonia Blome, 15, secured support through the WestLotto-TopTalents program in 2024. Let's delve into this captivating sport.
What is Artistic Cycling?
Artistic cycling is a unique blend of grace and acrobatics, originating from the circus. Towards the end of the 19th century, performers used wheels in circus rings or during folk festivals to showcase their skills.
Over the years, the initial theater act transformed into a serious sport. Today, there are several associations in Germany that organize various competitions and championships for the discipline.
Although it may not be an Olympic sport, artistic cycling is gaining significant popularity. Germany is recognized as a hub for this sport, with German athletes bagging both men's and women's world champions titles in solo artistic cycling recently.
What does an Artistic Cycling Wheel look like?
Unlike conventional bicycles, artistic cycling wheels are specially designed machines crafted by hand. They should serve both functional purposes and meet the aesthetic requirements of the sport.
Artistic cycling wheels also come with peculiar tires equipped with high tire pressure and suitable for smooth surfaces like parquet. The set-up of the gear in artistic cycling wheels allows for quick acceleration, backward movement, and unique saddles for performing routines.
How do Artistic Cycling competitions work?
As an official aesthetic sport, artistic cycling adheres to worldwide regulations established by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). Competitions involve an artistic cyclist displaying their performance within a five-minute timeframe, highlighting jumps, squats, or handstands.
During the competition, judges evaluate and award points based on the complexity and difficulty of the routine. Disciplines within artistic cycling include Solo Artistic Cycling, Pair Artistic Cycling, and Team Artistic Cycling, each with its distinct competitions and titles.
WestLotto-TopTalent: Antonia Blome
Antonia Blome is one of the WestLotto-TopTalents 2024, whose passion for artistic cycling began at the age of six. Her mother, a former artistic cyclist herself, encouraged Blome to participate in training and competitions.
Blome describes her passion for artistic cycling, appreciating its captivating aesthetics and wide variety of tricks. She finds it enthralling that so many artistic figures are possible with the artistic cycle. Her handstand is her most acclaimed trick, which she mastered at the age of 13. She emphasizes the importance of fitness, strength, and concentration to excel in this aesthetic sport.
Antonia Blome has claimed the title of German U15 Champion twice, even with an injury. This year, she qualified for the Junior Masters final for the first time. With ambitious aspirations for the future, she aims to join the European Championship in the coming years and achieve her ultimate dream of becoming the world champion in artistic cycling.
WestLotto and Sports Promotion in North Rhine-Westphalia
Recently, WestLotto collaborated with the federal state to promote sports events. National and international competitions held in North Rhine-Westphalia will be sponsored by WestLotto for the next five years.
World Championship in Artistic Cycling in Switzerland
The World Championship in passionate sports enthusiasts can look forward to the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup. Comprised of four rounds, each round contributing double points, the final round will take place in Oberbüren, Switzerland, on November 2.
The first two rounds of this year's competition in artistic cycling have already been held: one in Tarquinia, Italy, and another in Hohenems, Austria. The third round is set for Hong Kong on August 11.
The news of the World Championship in Artistic Cycling has excited many enthusiasts, with the final round scheduled to take place in Oberbüren, Switzerland on November 2. WestLotto, partnering with the State Sports Association NRW, provides support to budding talents through the WestLotto-TopTalents program, as seen in the case of Antonia Blome.
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