Cottbus Hosts Trampoline World Cup Finale

The 2026 Trampoline and Tumbling World Cup season reaches its climax in Cottbus, Germany, from 17 to 20 October. With five event titles and one overall World Cup series crown still to be decided, the competition promises an exciting conclusion before the World Championships in Nanjing, China, next month.

China Leads the Field

China and Belarus have dominated much of this season’s World Cup circuit. However, Belarus will be absent from the Cottbus event, creating an opportunity for athletes from other countries to challenge for medals.

Chinese veteran Cao Yunzhu is among the competitors expected to make an impact. Zhang Yu, who won individual bronze at the World Cup in Riccione, Italy, two weeks earlier, will also compete. The 18-year-old from Shanxi is a contender in women’s synchronised trampoline, where she partners with Zhang Xinxin, the 2021 World champion.

The two Zhangs are the only winners from Riccione returning for the competition in Cottbus, a city in eastern Germany near the Polish border that has a long history of hosting Artistic Gymnastics World Cups.

German Athletes Ready to Shine

More than 70 gymnasts from 19 nations are expected at the Lausitz Arena. Germany will be represented by a strong home delegation, including Aurelia Eisloeffel and Maya Moeller. The pair won bronze in synchronised trampoline at the same event two years ago and will aim to make another impression in front of their home crowd.

Colombia’s Angel Hernandez is another notable name. The two-time Olympian is returning after missing the 2025 season and undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. In September, he shared a video of his rehabilitation on social media, declaring himself “Stronger than before!”

Portugal’s Gabriel Albuquerque, a bronze medallist in Riccione, will also be looking to build on his recent success. Other competitors to watch include Czech World Cup medallists Michaela Jurickova and Aneta Hrudova, Japan’s Matsumoto Yusei, a 2026 Asian Games finalist, and Italy’s synchronised pair Samuele Patisso Colonna and Marco Lavino, who finished fourth in Riccione.

The Battle for the Series Title

One major question remains in the overall World Cup standings. Azerbaijan’s brother-and-sister team, Magsud and Seljan Mahsudova, currently lead the mixed synchronised trampoline rankings. Another strong performance in Cottbus would secure the series title for the pair, who won world bronze in 2025.

They are the only athletes across the trampoline categories whose series lead can still be overturned. The champions in the other four categories have already been mathematically determined based on the current standings.

With international contenders, returning Olympians and a series title on the line, Cottbus offers a final opportunity for athletes to build momentum before the World Championships in Nanjing.

Source: article on gymnastics.sport published October 13, 2026.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer