Gemopedia
Gymnastics🇩🇪Germany20th century

German Wheel

Officially German Wheel (Rhönrad)

GYMNASTICS discipline inside a LARGE STEEL WHEEL (~2 m diameter, 30 kg) consisting of 2 PARALLEL RIMS joined by CROSS-BARS + FOOT-BINDINGS + GRIPS. Athletes perform STRAIGHT-LINE ROLLS, SPIRAL SIDE-ROLLS, and VAULTS while inside. Invented in GERMANY 1925 by OTTO FEICK; INTERNATIONAL WHEEL GYMNASTICS FEDERATION (IRV) since 1995; WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS since 1995. Included in WORLD GAMES since 2013.

📐Sprung wooden gymnastic floor⏱~5 min🌤indoor

Quick facts

Category

Gymnastics

Type

Individual

Players

1–1

Duration

~5 min

Where played

indoor

Field / court

Sprung wooden gymnastic floor

Country of origin

🇩🇪 Germany

Estimated origin

German Wheel invented 1925 by Otto Feick in Schönau, Rhön region (hence 'Rhönrad'); Feick patented 1925; competitive gymnastics apparatus 1930s; Internationaler Rhönradturn-Verband (IRV) 1995; first World Championships 1995 Den Helder; World Games discipline 2013.

Olympic

No

Popularity

niche

How it works

Objective

Perform choreographed ROUTINES in 3 DISCIPLINES: STRAIGHT-LINE (Geradeturnen), SPIRAL (Spirale), VAULT (Sprung).

Rules

Basic rules

  • 3 DISCIPLINES: (1) STRAIGHT-LINE (Geradeturnen) — rolls back + forth along straight axis; (2) SPIRAL (Spirale) — wheel tilted on one rim, spirals in circle; (3) VAULT (Sprung) — wheel rolled + gymnast dismounts

    Signature 3-discipline structure.

  • ROUTINE 2 min, 6-8 required elements; must include INVERSIONS, TRANSITIONS between grips + foot-bindings

    Signature 2-min routine.

  • JUDGED on TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY (D-score) + EXECUTION (E-score) similar to artistic gymnastics

    Signature D+E scoring.

  • ATHLETE MUST STAY INSIDE WHEEL throughout — dismounts only during vault at end of routine

    Signature stay-inside rule.

  • MEN + WOMEN compete in ALL 3 DISCIPLINES + INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND

    Signature 3-discipline all-around.

  • SAFETY: no hard falls typical (wheel controls rotation), but shoulder + wrist injuries possible from grip mid-roll

    Standard safety notes.

Scoring

D-score + E-score by 4 judges; execution deductions for form, control; average scores across disciplines for all-around.

Win condition · Highest combined all-around score wins.

Playing area

Called

Sprung wooden gymnastic floor

Dimensions

Performance surface 14 × 3 m (straight-line + spiral corridors)

Equipment

  • GERMAN WHEEL ('RHÖNRAD'): 2 PARALLEL STEEL RIMS ~2m diameter, joined by 6 CROSS-BARS, WOODEN GRIPS + adjustable FOOT-BINDINGS at 4 positions; ~30 kg

    Signature 2m steel wheel apparatus.

  • GYMNASTIC LEOTARD or unitard

    Standard gymnast attire.

  • GYMNASTIC MAT beneath performance area (12 × 3 m sprung floor)

    Standard sprung floor.

  • CHALK for grip

    Standard chalk.

Terminology

Rhönrad
German name — 'Rhön wheel', from region of invention.
Geradeturnen
Straight-line discipline.
Spirale
Spiral (tilted-wheel) discipline.
Sprung
Vault discipline.
Sport-Rad
'Sport Wheel' — competitive apparatus per FIG-style specifications.

Major competitions

  • German Wheel World Championships

    biennial · Global (Germany-dominant) · since 1995

  • World Games (Wheel Gymnastics)

    quadrennial · Global (World Games) · since 2013

Where it is played

Governing bodies

  • Internationaler Rhönradturn-Verband (IRV / International Wheel Gymnastics Federation)

    Founded 1995 · Germany

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Sina Kühnhold (DE, multi-World Champion)
  • Nils Aguilar (DE)
  • Bernhard Meyer (DE)

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-28.verified