2011, August - Freyburg /Unstrut (Germany)
Interview with the many times German Senior Champion of artistic gymnastics, the 86-years old Johanna Quaas from Halle (Saxony-Anhalt), at the 89th Jahnturnfest in the Jahn City of Freyburg.
* NEW: Just now, 2012, August 18, she will start at the 90th anniversary of these worldwide unique Gymnastics Festival in memoriam of the German founder of gymnastics Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.
The European Gymnastics Service GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL will publish a summary on
www.gymmedia.com (in English) but also in German language on
www.gymmedia.de
(c) gymmedia
* Translated interview:
Q: If there were World Championships or European Championships, you would be a candidate for a title, I would say. Is that the case?
J.Q.: I would love to compete with others and I always regretted that there are not even European Championships, not to mention Worlds for seniors (=elderly). In every other sport that is the case just not in gymnastics.
Q: In the world of gymnastics you have been known for a long time. For those who don't know this: you started quite early. In the fifties you were one of Eastern Germany's top gymnasts.
J.Q.: No, not really, I just was "Oberstufe" (pretty high level in there system but not quite elite). But I started out playing handball until 1954, and there we were Eastern German Champion in 1954, with the team of "shoe-metro" in Weissenfels.
Q: But in gymnastics in Halle...
J.Q.: Along the way a started doing gymnastics, that was allowed then. Then I did actively gymnastics until 32 or 33. Also at "Wissenschaft Halle" (the Club "science" of the university), back then. But then I restarted at the age of 56 years.
Q: A last word to Quaas and Freyburg. How does this match together? For ever, right?
J.Q.: Yes, forever, since I restarted gymnastics I was back here every year. And I love it, because one can do gymnastics outdoors, and as always the weather is beautiful.
Q: Yes, and the gymnasts deserve that.
J.Q.: Yes.
Q: Thank you very much, all the best, and where do we see you again?
J.Q.: The next one is "Schnepfenthal", I like going there, too. That's in the region of GutsMuth (an 18th century pioneer in gymnastics) and also Friesen worked there (early 19th century pedagogue). And I always like it there, too. Also senior championships. But from the championships I want slowly to retire, I think that was long enough now.