For years, the FIG was synonymous with gymnastics. The name had been around since 1921 through generations, rule changes, and worldwide expansion. But this week, that familiar name changed.

The International Gymnastics Federation announced that it will now be known as World Gymnastics. The organization also unveiled a new logo and visual identity, signalling a fresh direction for the sport. Inside the federation’s headquarters, the shift was presented as a step toward a modern and global future. But why was it changed?

According to World Gymnastics, the new identity aims to make the sport easier to recognize and more unified globally. President Morinari Watanabe said, “The name reinforces our role as a global center for athletes, coaches, fans and partners. This change goes far beyond a rebranding. It is a promise to elevate the sport and expand access to gymnastics worldwide.”

And with it, the federation will also introduce eight discipline-specific brands soon.

Gymnastics for All, Men’s Artistic, Women’s Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline and Tumbling, Acrobatics, Aerobics, and Parkour. This approach follows the global trend of federations moving toward world-branded names, similar to World Aquatics and World Athletics.

The rebrand is driven by the following goals, as stated by World Gymnastics after collaborating with athletes, member federations, fans and global partners:

• Strengthening athlete visibility and safeguarding
• Enhancing fan engagement and event experience
• Expanding global participation
• Clarifying pathways across all disciplines

The aim is to establish a clear and modern identity that speaks to an evolving sports environment. But change isn’t always easy to adapt to, as the so-called gymternet has made clear.

Gymnastics fans upset over FIG’s new look

One fan did not hold back and wrote, “World Gymnastics sounds so cheap, like ewww.” Another added, “It sounds like the name of a random YouTube content farm.” To be honest, it makes sense why they are frustrated. FIG is history, not just a name.

Founded in 1881 as the European Federation of Gymnastics with just three members: Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, this is the oldest international sports federation in the world. As nations outside of Europe joined, it changed its name to the International Gymnastics Federation by 1921. After 104 years carrying the FIG identity, switching to World Gymnastics is a big leap. For fans who grew up seeing FIG as the symbol of gymnastics, it feels like losing a piece of the sport’s soul.

One more fan added, “This means nothing if you are still gonna be lazy and not gonnaa stream anything.” This frustration is obvious. Because, unless the federation has made gymnastics easy to watch, a new name seems irrelevant to the fans. Because gymnastics has a proved which hasn’t been solved for years.

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This sport is rarely covered on TV; the events are spread across multiple platforms, with some of them behind paywalls. And what makes it even more boring is that they are not as popular on social media as other sports. Moreover, they are hard to find during non-Olympic years, and the marketing is not evenly distributed in the world.

Another fan lamented, “World Gymnastics… what are they doing to my beautiful sport?” One more added, “Girl whatever we still hate you.” Thus, it is never simple to change a name once it has been over 100 years. The federation now faces a tangible challenge: to prove that this new identity is more than a glossy logo, but a tangible step towards a sport that can be watched, invested in, and that the fans can definitely feel an attachment to.