LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Coed Premier is headed to The World Games.
The International World Games Association confirmed Thursday that Premier will be the cheerleading discipline contested at The World Games 2029, scheduled for July 19-29 in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The announcement answers a question that had remained open since April, when cheerleading was confirmed as one of the sports on the 2029 program but its discipline had not yet been selected.
Earlier this year, the International Cheer Union outlined three disciplines it had proposed for Karlsruhe: Hip Hop Doubles, Pom Doubles and Coed Premier with 12 athletes.
Premier is the only cheerleading discipline included in the final program.
For cheerleading, the road to Karlsruhe has been several years in the making.
The International Olympic Committee granted the International Cheer Union full recognition in July 2021, recognizing ICU as the world governing body for the sport. The decision also made cheerleading eligible for consideration for future Olympic Games and provided greater access to international multi-sport competition.
Three years later, ICU was granted full membership in the International World Games Association in May 2024. With that vote, cheerleading officially joined the organization responsible for The World Games.
For those more familiar with the cheerleading competition calendar than the international sports system, The World Games is a major multi-sport event held every four years and recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
The event primarily provides a global championship stage for sports and disciplines that are not part of the Olympic Games program. Like the Olympics, athletes compete for their countries across multiple sports during one international event. The first World Games were held in 1981, and for many of the sports represented, winning a World Games title is among the highest achievements available internationally.
Cheerleading did not have to wait long for its first opportunity.
Just one year after ICU joined the IWGA, cheerleading made its World Games debut in Chengdu, China, in 2025 with Pom Doubles.
The United States won the first World Games gold medal awarded in cheerleading, with Ecuador taking silver and Australia bronze.
Karlsruhe will be different.
Four years after two-athlete Pom Doubles introduced cheerleading to The World Games, Premier will put team cheerleading on the floor.
And there is another important piece to the selection.
The Coed Premier division ICU proposed for The World Games calls for 12 athletes — the same class the federation has proposed for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.
ICU President Karl Olson discussed both efforts during the ICU Europe Conference in Vienna earlier this year. ICU officials said the limitation to 12 active athletes in Coed Premier is connected to restrictions within the Olympic program.
That does not mean cheerleading has been selected for Brisbane 2032.
It hasn't.
But it does mean the version of Coed Premier ICU has developed as part of its Olympic proposal will now have a place at one of the world's largest international multi-sport events.
That makes Karlsruhe particularly interesting.
For USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris, the announcement is another opportunity for athletes to represent their countries while continuing the international development of the sport.
“Today marks another incredible step forward for cheerleading and for athletes around the world,” Harris told Cheer Daily. “The inclusion of Premier Cheerleading in The World Games 2029 provides an extraordinary opportunity to showcase our sport, our athletes and the athleticism, skill and teamwork that define cheerleading on one of the world’s most respected international stages.”
USA Cheer would have the opportunity to send its Coed Premier National Team to Karlsruhe, although qualification procedures and the number of countries that will compete have not yet been announced.
“For USA Cheer, we are incredibly proud and excited about the opportunity for the USA Coed Premier National Team to represent the United States in Karlsruhe,” Harris said. “But this moment is bigger than any one team or country. It represents the continued advancement of cheerleading globally and the growing opportunities for athletes from nations around the world to compete, represent their countries and be recognized on the international sport stage.”
The 12-athlete format will be smaller than the Coed Premier teams traditionally seen at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships.
At the 2026 ICU World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, the United States won Coed Premier, followed by Mexico and Germany. Three years later, Germany will host The World Games and could have the opportunity to compete in the division in front of a home crowd.
Which countries will join them remains unknown.
The qualification system, number of participating teams, competition schedule and medal format for cheerleading have not yet been announced.
The complete Karlsruhe program will feature approximately 4,000 athletes from more than 100 countries competing across 36 sports and 62 disciplines. Premier will join disciplines ranging from flag football and lacrosse to powerlifting, gymnastics, climbing, karate and DanceSport.
For Harris, the moment also belongs to those who spent years working toward opportunities that did not exist for previous generations of cheerleaders.
“We are grateful to the International Cheer Union and the many leaders, athletes, coaches and organizations around the world who have worked for decades to advance our sport,” Harris said.
“The World Games 2029 will be another important opportunity for the world to see what those of us in cheerleading have always known — these are extraordinary athletes, and cheerleading belongs on the world stage.”
The progression is becoming easier to see.
Full Olympic recognition came in 2021.
IWGA membership followed in 2024.
Pom Doubles made its World Games debut in 2025.
Premier will take the floor in 2029.
And while Brisbane 2032 remains a separate decision, the 12-athlete Coed Premier format selected for Karlsruhe is the same version of the sport ICU is proposing for the Olympic Games.
