Stuttgart Spectacular: Day 2 of German Open Championships 2026

Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday 12 August 2026. Following an electrifying opening day, the momentum at the 38th German Open Championships (GOC) reached new heights as the competition entered its second full day inside the Liederhalle Culture and Congress Centre. Building on the excitement of Tuesday’s opening rounds, Wednesday brought an extraordinary blend of deportivity, vibrant commercial activity and diplomatic celebrations. Outside the competition halls, the main concourses transformed into a bustling hub of vendors, trade stands, and international DanceSport enthusiasts, supported seamlessly behind the scenes by 600 dedicated volunteers from across Germany.

Stuttgart Spectacular: Day 2 of German Open Championships 2026

The official proceedings were further highlighted by the traditional GOC Reception held during the evening events of Tuesday, welcoming distinguished guests from politics, international sports administration, and municipal leadership. Stephen Harnisch, attending his first GOC as CEO, reflected warmly on taking over leadership alongside Bernd Roßnagel, paying tribute to former CEO Wilfried Scheible for his decades of visionary leadership.

The City of Stuttgart reaffirmed its steadfast institutional support through Dr. Alexandra Sußmann, Mayor for Social Affairs, Health and Integration, who emphasised the event’s role in uniting international communities, a spirit vividly reflected in Wednesday's City Challenge between Brno, Khmelnytskyi, and Stuttgart. WDSF Vice-President for Sport Nenad Jeftić further praised the record-setting entry numbers, reiterating the GOC’s status as "the largest DanceSport event in the world".

Highlights and Key Results of the Day – Wednesday 12 August 2026

WDSF Super Grand Prix PD Latin Adult

The indisputable centerpiece of the night came with the grand final of the WDSF Super Grand Prix PD Latin Adult. Opening with a high-octane Cha-Cha-Cha and culminating in a thrilling, energetic Jive, the competition delivered elite professional Latin dancing at its peak.

France’s Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova asserted their supremacy once again, capturing gold in their Stuttgart PD debut following back-to-back victories in Nanjing and Kuala Lumpur. Having secured GrandSlam gold here in Stuttgart last year as amateurs, Schmitt and Salikhova proved they have arrived in PD Latin to stay.

Following their triumph, the newly crowned champions shared their joy and ambitions for the future:

“Our love for DanceSport is what drives us forward each year, and it is always incredibly special to win here at the German Open. Our goal has always been to reach the position we are in today. Now, our main objective is to secure the PD Latin World Championship title, it is one of the few medals we have yet to achieve.”

The podium was completed by European Champions and WDSF DanceSport Festival PD Super Grand Prix winners Razvan Dumitrescu and Jacky Joos (GER), who claimed silver, while China's Li Jiaming and Li Yitong secured a brilliant bronze. The awards were presented by Nenad Jeftić, WDSF 1st Vice-President and Vice-President for Sports.

WDSF Open Latin Under 21

Germany’s Dimitrii Kalistov and Luna Maria Albanese brought the home crowd in the Beethoven-Saal to their feet, delivering a passionate performance to capture their second consecutive GOC gold medal in the Under 21 Latin division. This triumph follows their recent gold medal victories at the WDSF DanceSport Festival Championships in Blackpool and in Bremen last June.

WDSF Open Standard Rising Stars

A massive field of 140 couples launched the day in the Rising Stars Standard category, battling through multiple rounds to reach an apogean final. The prestigious award presentation was conducted by Ivo Münster (DTV Federal Sports Director/Presidium member), Jens Steinmann (WDSF Vice-President), and Bernd Roßnagel (GOC CEO). Turkey's Batu Sandiraz and Emilija Ulcinaite emerged victorious after a grueling day of competition.

WDSF Open Standard Junior II

Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Donchev and Martina Kondaklieva mounted the podium visibly moved to collect their second gold medal of the week in Stuttgart, having already secured victory in the WDSF Open Ten Dance Junior II on Tuesday. They edged out Romania’s Dumitru Mircea Andrei and Vasile Alexandra in a tight final. Following their victory, Kristiyan and Martina shared their joy:

“We work incredibly hard for every victory. We spend almost all our time in the dance studio, so every medal and every achievement means a lot. Latin and Standard are both equally important to us, and we always give our best in both. After these two gold medals, we feel very motivated and 100% ready for Friday’s competition! We would also like to wish the best of luck to all the couples competing, because we know how much hard work and dedication everyone puts into their dancing.”

WDSF Open Solo Latin Female Junior I

At just thirteen years old, Italy’s Celeste D'Aleo continued to build a formidable early record in solo dancing, securing her third gold medal in Solo Latin Junior I with a commanding performance.

WDSF Open Standard Senior IV

You can check all the competition results of the day by clicking here.

Live Music and Spectacular Exhibition Shows

Adding an extra layer of elegance and atmosphere, the evening finals in the Beethoven-Saal were accompanied by a live orchestra, providing a majestic acoustic backdrop that brought out the absolute best in the finalist couples.

Between the intense competitive rounds, the audience was treated to four remarkable and unexpected showcase performances that brought the venue to its feet:

Edgaras Baltaragis & Indre Baltarage (LTU): Delivered a captivating, sensual slow dance exhibition, featuring breathless lifts where Indre seemed to fly effortless through the air.
Dmitry Kolobov & Signe Busk (DEN): Stunned the Beethoven-Saal with an exceptionally precise and subtle interpretation of Libertango, bringing the entire auditorium to a standing ovation.
Yuan Shaoyang & Qi Chongxuan (CHN): Presented an “expression of beauty of harmony”, an acrobatic routine set to traditional oriental music, accompanied by enthusiastic applause from a packed house.
Dariusz Mycka & Madara Freiberga (POL): Closed the showcase series with an intense, fierce demonstration defined by razor-sharp orientation and powerful eye contact.

The excitement continues tomorrow, Thursday 13 August, as Day 3 promises another thrilling schedule. Among the headline events to follow closely will be the anticipated WDSF Open Latin Rising Stars. This is only the beginning. There is much more to come.

Don´t miss the action by following the live coverage on the WDSF livestream.

Stuttgart Spectacular: Day 2 of German Open Championships 2026