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Jani Tanskanen (FIN)

Because of today’s emerging generations, not to mention revolutions in culture and media, never before has the gap between the environments in which the FIG authorities and their gymnasts evolve been so big. Internet changed everything! And yet it remains essential to anyone who works in these circles; it maintains a high exchange of information, without which there would be a substantial risk of isolating these two populations.

The Athletes Commission is here to take on a difficult task that consists in building a bridge between athletes and authorities, and making sure that information is passed around easily in both directions. We met with its President.

38-year old Jani Tanskanen of Finland was re-elected President of the FIG Athletes’ Commission on March 01, a position which also grants him a seat and voting rights on the FIG Council and Executive Committee. The 1997 World (Lausanne) Champion  on Horizontal Bar and father of a daughter, 4, and son, 2, is aware of the essential role the commission plays in the relationship between gymnasts and FIG authorities and joins forces with his fellow commission members in order to make sure the athletes’ voices are heard.

Created in 1999 at the initiative of FIG President Prof Bruno Grandi (ITA), the commission has its second president in Tanskanen, who took over from first office-bearer Eva Serrano (FRA) in 2009. In the following edited interview, done on the occasion of the February Athletes Commission meeting at the FIG Office in Lausanne (SUI), Tanskanen discusses the commission’s previous achievements, the Youth Olympic Games, athletes’ education and his vision for his second term.