Lauren Grüniger
| Lauren Grüniger | |
|---|---|
Grüniger at the 2025 Summer World University Games | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 3 February 2007 Zurich, Switzerland |
| Gymnastics career | |
| Discipline | Rhythmic gymnastics |
| Country represented | Switzerland |
Lauren Grüniger (born 3 February 2007) is a Swiss individual rhythmic gymnast.
Personal life
Grüniger was born in Zurich to a Swiss father and a Singaporean mother, and she has a younger sister. She grew up speaking German and English.[1] She is also fluent in Italian and Russian, and she has studied French.[2]
Career
At ten years old in 2017, Grüniger attended a training camp in Moscow. She asked her parents if she could stay to continue training. After a long discussion, her father agreed to let her live there with a host family, as the training conditions were better there than in Switzerland; for example, there was ample access to training areas with sprung floors that reduce the impact of jumps, while there was only one intermittently available in Switzerland. She attended a German school and continued to train in Moscow through at least the end of 2021. Grüniger spoke positively about her experiences training in Russia.[1][2]
In 2021, as a junior, Grüniger won her first medal at an International Gymnastics Federation tournament in June, a bronze. She also had the highest score of all gymnasts at the Swiss National Championships that year.[3]
In 2022, she competed in the junior event at the Irina Cup, which was used as a selection event for the European Championships by the Swiss Gymnastics Federation. She won the bronze medal in the ball final.[4] She was selected for the junior team at the European Championships and competed with ball only; she was 24th with that apparatus, and she and her teammates placed 18th in the team competition.[5]
Grüniger began competing as a senior in 2023. Her first international senior competition was the Gymnastik International in March, where she placed 10th and qualified for the hoop and ball finals.[6] She was selected for the 2023 European Championships along with Norah Demierre, and she placed 42nd in the all-around qualifications.[7]
She injured her foot at school at the end of 2023 and took several weeks off training to recover.[1] She did not compete in early 2024, but she returned to compete at the Swiss National Championships in June, where she won silver in the all-around behind Sophia Carlotta Chiariello.[8]
In 2025, she competed at the World Challenge Cup in Portimão, where she placed 12th in the all-around and qualified for the clubs and ribbon finals.[9] At the Swiss National Championships, she won the senior title and three of the four event finals.[10] In June, she competed at her second European Championships, where she placed 30th in the all-around qualifications and narrowly missed qualifying to the final. She said afterward, "Of course I'm disappointed, but I'm also proud of my performance."[11] She also competed at the 2025 Summer World University Games in July, where she placed 12th in the all-around.[12]
She was selected to compete at her first World Championships in August, and ahead of the Championships, she trained in Germany.[13] At the Championships, she placed 30th in the all-around qualifications.[14]
References
- ^ a b c Bärtsch, Philipp (31 December 2021). "Rhythmische Gymnastik: Ein Mädchen zieht alleine nach Moskau" [How a 10-year-old moved to Russia alone to become a rhythmic gymnast]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ a b Favre, Emmanuel (7 November 2021). "À 10 ans, elle quitte la Suisse et s'installe à Moscou" [At the age of 10, she left Switzerland and moved to Moscow]. Tribune de Genève (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ "Rhythmische Gymnastik: Das sind die 6 grössten Talente" [Rhythmic Gymnastics: These Are the 6 Greatest Talents]. Nau (in Swiss High German). 23 June 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (2 May 2022). "Bronzemedaille für Lauren Grüniger beim Irina Cup 2022" [Bronze medal for Lauren Grüniger at the 2022 Irina Cup]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Greutmann, Thomas (6 October 2025). "Schweizer Juniorinnen-Team erreicht an der EM den 18. Rang" [Swiss junior team reaches 18th place at the European Championships]. Swiss Gymnastics Federation (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (9 March 2023). "Schweizer Gymnastinnen sorgen bei Traditionsturnier für Furore" [Swiss gymnasts cause a sensation at traditional tournament]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (22 May 2023). "Norah Demierre überzeugt bei ihrem EM-Debüt in Baku" [Norah Demierre convinces on her European Championship debut in Baku]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ "Schweizer Meisterschaften Rhythmische Gymnastik 2024" [Swiss Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships 2024]. www.ztv.ch. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (20 May 2025). "Lauren Grüniger überzeugt am World Challenge Cup in Portimao" [Lauren Grüniger convinces at the World Challenge Cup in Portimao]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Herzog, Alexandra (6 October 2025). "Lauren Grüniger kürt sich überlegen zur Schweizer Meisterin" [Lauren Grüniger crowns herself Swiss Champion]. Swiss Gymnastics Federation (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (9 June 2025). "Lauren Grüniger verpasst EM-Final nur knapp" [Lauren Grüniger narrowly misses out on European Championship final]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ "Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Result Book Rhythmic Gymnastics" (PDF). Rhine Ruhr 2025. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Estibeira, Carolina (6 October 2025). "Erste WM-Teilnahme für Lauren Grüniger" [First World Championships participation for Lauren Grüniger]. Swiss Gymnastics Federation (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Dütschler, Oliver (22 August 2025). "Lauren Grüniger glänzt an der WM in Brasilien" [Lauren Grüniger shines at the World Championships in Brazil]. Nau (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 7 October 2025.