GYMNASTICS

Gymnastics is a sport that harmonizes body movement to the lilting tunes of

choreographed music. In fact, gymnastics can be likened to an art form. Gymnastics
events test the strength, rhythm, balance, flexibility and agility of the gymnast. The
history of gymnastics has seen many a popular gymnast who has mesmerized the world
with awesome performances.

HISTORY OF GYMNASTICS

Distinct gymnastic exercises were developed in ancient Greece as part of a

regimen of physical conditioning and military training. These training programs were
integral to the educational programs for children, as it was believed that this would
facilitate unity of mind and body. History of gymnastics can be traced to ancient Greece.
‘Gymnastics’ originated from the word ‘gymnazein’, which means ‘exercising without
clothes’.

Gymnastics in its present form can be traced to Sweden. The history of

gymnastics shows that Germany and Czechoslovakia developed gymnastics apparatus
around the 1800s. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a German educator was known as the Father of
gymnastics. He used pieces of stationery apparatus to inculcate and develop self-
discipline and strength of body. The Swedish method on the other hand, developed by
Pehr Henrik Ling, is rhythmic gymnastics, concentrated on rhythm and coordination with
the use of hoops, clubs and small balls.

It was just a matter of time before gymnastics became an extremely popular sport
in Europe. The history of gymnastics at a competitive level can be traced to the 1896
Olympics in Athens. The Gymnastics World Championships has its history in the 1903
international event held in Antwerp.

FORMS OF GYMNASTICS

Artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is usually divided into Men's and Women's Gymnastics.

Typically men compete six events: Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Vault,
Parallel Bars, and High Bar, while women compete four: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance
Beam, and Floor Exercise. In some countries, women at one time competed on the rings,
high bar, and parallel bars (for example, in the 1950s in the USSR). Though routines
performed on each event may be short, they are physically exhausting and push the
gymnast's strength, flexibility, endurance and awareness to the limit.

Artistic gymnasts participate in competitions which use a standardized level

system ranging from Level 1 to Level 10. Levels 1 through 6 compete using compulsory
routines. In Levels 7 though 10, athletes may use their own routines created from a set of
skills which must be included. Elite competition, open to skilled younger athletes in
lower levels, is typically reserved for athletes who have aged out of the junior program;
for example, in the United States, Junior Olympic competition ends when the athlete
reaches age 18. Elite gymnasts compete for team slots, which allows them access to
international competition. It is accepted practice at the compulsory and optional level to
use standardized routines in the training of young gymnasts.

In 2006, FIG introduced a new points system for Artistic gymnastics in which scores are
no longer limited to 10 points. The system is used in the US for elite level competition.

Men Gymnastics

Men gymnastics events are an exhibition of extraordinary skill and absolute

precision.

Floor Exercise – The entire floor area in this gymnastics event is

used for tumbling passes in different directions. Multiple saltos and
twists and clean landings are the hallmark of a competent man
gymnastics champion.

Still Rings – The rings should be absolutely still and under control. The
gymnast has to be perfectly still and possess proper body position to
display mastery over this event.

Vault – The height, distance of travel and the overall acceleration on the
vault mark out an excellent man gymnastics champion from the ordinary.
The athlete approaches the vault and takes off from the springboard with an
acrobatic maneuver in the air. A poised landing will end the performance
with panache.

Parallel Bar – Swing and flight are the underlying features of this
gymnastics event. The most difficult skills on this gymnastics event
require the gymnast to lose sight of the bars for a movement, as in
the front and back saltos.
Pommel Horse – This gymnastics event is one of the most
difficult yet most subtle. Complex hand placements juxtaposed
with body positions allow a gymnast to seamlessly flow from
one swing or tumble to another.

Horizontal Bar – The Horizontal or High bar is the perfect man

gymnastics event to showcase a gymnast’s artistry and daring.

Women Gymnastics

The Women gymnastics events have always been a favorite with the spectators.
Take a look at some of the events that are part of the Woman gymnastics competitions:

Vault – Tuck, pike or stretch are different body positions in this

gymnastics event. Scores are awarded on execution and difficulty.
The woman gymnast is judged on her flight from the springboard
and landing, with no additional steps taken after the landing.

Uneven Bars – This woman gymnastics event is a crowd puller. It allows

for a fine demonstration of the gymnast’s upper body strength, split
second timing and aggressive approach. This event is judged on
continuous fluid movement without breaks or pauses.

Balancing Beam – A woman gymnastics champion has to execute her

graceful routines on a beam that is just four inches wide.

Floor Exercises – This event is a visual treat as it involves blending

of choreographed exercises and music. Versatile use of the floor
space to maximum advantage and changing direction and level of
movement are characteristic of a floor exercise routine. The
personality of an individual gymnast is exhibited in this particular
event that calls for total body control.
Rhythmic gymnastics

Only women compete in rhythmic gymnastics although

there is a new version of this discipline for men being
pioneered in Japan. The sport involves the performance of five
separate routines with the use of five apparatus—ball, ribbon,
hoop, clubs, rope—on a floor area, with a much greater
emphasis on the aesthetic rather than the acrobatic. There are
also group routines consisting of 5 gymnasts and 5 apparatuses
of their choice. Rhythmic routines are scored out of a possible
20 points; the score for artistry (choreography and music) is
averaged with the score for difficulty of the moves and then
added to the score for execution.

Trampolining and Tumbling

Trampolining and tumbling consists of four

events, individual, synchronized, double mini and
power tumbling. Since 2000, individual trampoline
has been included in the Olympic Games. Individual
routines in trampolining involve a build-up phase
during which the gymnast jumps repeatedly to
achieve height, followed by a sequence of ten leaps
without pauses during which the gymnast performs a
sequence of aerial skills. Routines are marked out of
a maximum score of 10 points. Additional points
(with no maximum at the highest levels of
competition) can be earned depending on the
difficulty of the moves. In high level competitions,
there are two preliminary routines, one which has
only two moves scored for difficulty and one where
the athlete is free to perform any routine. This is
followed by a final routine which is optional. Some
competitions restart the score from zero for the
finals, other add the final score to the preliminary results. Synchronized trampoline is
similar except that both competitors must perform the routine together and marks are
awarded for synchronicity as well as the form and difficulty of the moves. Double mini
trampoline involves a smaller trampoline with a run-up, two moves are performed for
preliminaries and two more for finals. Moves cannot be repeated and the scores are
marked in a similar manner to individual trampoline. In power tumbling, athletes perform
an explosive series of flips and twists down a sprung tumbling track. Scoring is similar to
trampolining.
Display gymnastics

General gymnastics enables people of all ages and abilities to

participate in performance groups of 6 to more than 150 athletes.
They perform synchronized, choreographed routines. Troupes may
be all one gender or mixed. There are no age divisions in general
gymnastics. The largest general gymnastics exhibition is the
quadrennial World Gymnaestrada which was first held in 1939.

Aerobic gymnastics

Aerobic gymnastics (formally Sport Aerobics)

involves the performance of routines by individuals,
pairs, trios or groups up to 6 people, emphasizing
strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness rather than
acrobatic or balance skills. Routines are performed for
all individuals on a 7x7m floor and also for 12–14 and
15–17 trios and mixed pairs. From 2009, all senior trios
and mixed pairs were required to be on the larger floor
(10x10m), all groups also perform on this floor.
Routines generally last 60–90 seconds depending on age of participant and routine
category.

Acrobatic Gymnastics

Acrobatic gymnastics (formerly Sports Acrobatics), often

referred to as acrobatics, "acro" sports or simply sports acro, is a
group gymnastic discipline for both men and women. Acrobats
in groups of two, three and four perform routines with the heads,
hands and feet of their partners. They may, subject to regulations
(e.g. no lyrics), pick their own music.

Beginning recreational acro gymnastics includes levels of

1, 2, and 3 (which require one routine containing both dynamic
and balance skills). Compulsory levels]] 4, 5, 6, and 7 (which
also only require one routine). At levels of 8, 9, two routines are
required – one for balance and one for dynamic. For optional
levels 10, and elite, three routines are required – one for balance,
one for dynamic, and one combined routine.
FAMOUS GYMNASTS

Olga Korbut: perhaps the most famous gymnast of all time, Olga Korbut from the
Soviet Union made her mark when she won three gold medals at the 1972 Olympics
in Munich, dominating gymnastics competition during the 1970s.

Nadia Comaneci: Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci made history when she not
only became the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect 10 at the 1976 Montreal
Olympics but gained six perfect scores during the Olympics.

Annika Reeder: British gymnast Annika Reeder won five gold medals at the World
Championships, three golds at the Commonwealth Games and three Olympic gold
medals, retiring in 2001 as one of the world's most successful gymnasts.

Bart Conner: Dominating American gymnastics during the 1970s, Bart Conner won
a gold medal at every level of competition including the World Championships and
the Olympic Games.

Vera Caslavska: Czechoslovakian gymnast Vera Caslavska won a total of seven

Olympic gold medals during her career, the highest number of gold medals won by
any gymnast before or since.

Larissa Latynina: the highest Olympic medal winner of all time, Larissa Latynina
won a total of sixteen Olympic medals during her gymnastics career which lasted
from 1956 until her retirement in 1964.

Leon Stukelj: one of the two honorary members of the Olympic committee, Leon
Stukelj is the oldest living Olympic gold medallists, having won two gold Olympic
medals and a silver on the rings when he was 37 years old.

Yukio Endo: dominating gymnastics during the 1960s, Japanese gymnast Yukio
Endo was the All-around Japanese champion for four consecutive years and won four
gold medals in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.