A little girl from Vienna offers a big gymnastics cinema. The exceptional talent shows such difficult exercises on bars, uneven bars, jump and floor, as we otherwise only know from professionals.
Larissa Szanwald, nine years young, clears one trophy after the other at gymnastics competitions. A backflip on the ten centimeter-wide balance beam is just as little a problem for the fourth grader as a double somersault after “giant” turns on the uneven bars: “I want to be the best gymnast in all of Austria and definitely go to the Olympics,” said the 1st , 23 m tall and 24 kg light Turnfloh clear goals.
Three hours of training six times a week
The family of the young athlete from Liesing subordinates everything in her life: “I train six times a week for three hours each time,” explains Larissa, who cannot hold a candle to any girl in Austria. Despite her youth, she does gymnastics like the professionals. After school, everyone goes to the Sport & Fun Hall in Leopoldstadt every day, and homework is often done there.
“Larissa is highly motivated every day “
But it won’t be too much for the talent: “I have my friends here and a super nice trainer,” she smiles. Meant is Beatrice Stritzl. The 21-year-old was herself an artistic gymnast at an international level, now she’s standing in the hall with the super talent: “It’s an honor to train with Larissa. She gives her best every day and is highly motivated, ”she says.
Careful assembly to avoid injuries
“Larissa is a real exception”, knows Nadine Ganyik, Vienna’s specialist for gymnastics girls. Decisive for a career will be whether Larissa keeps the love for her sport and, unlike her trainer, remains free from injuries: “I build her up very carefully,” says Stritzl.
- TV Kagran (22.)
- SU Jöö’s Gymnastics (23rd)
- ÖTB Langenzersdorf
- WAT Athletics (22.)
- MTV Hernals (17th)
- SU Mariahilf (6.)
- LZ Vienna (2.)
Too young for the state championships
Also this weekend Larissa Szanwald is at a big competition in Graz. The tournament is aimed at the preparations for the youth state championships in Tyrol. Larissa would be the clear favorite there. The title fights will rise in November but without the nine-year-old. Because according to the regulations, she is too young to participate …