GYMNASTICS

History of Gymnastics

Gymnastics, as an activity sport, has been around for over 2000 years but as an competitive sport
it is a little more than 100 years old. Mass and individual exhibitions were conducted by various
clubs and ethnic groups such as the Turnvereins and Sokols.

While it was slow-growing in the club area, it was fast-growing sport in the Turnvereins and
Sokols. In 1830s, the sport of gymnastics was introduced to United States and its school systems
by such immigrants as Charles Beck, Charles Follen and Francis Libber.

In 1881 the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was formed, later was renamed to Bureau
of the European Gymnastics Federation. This organization pioneered the international
competition. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was formed in United States in 1883. Along
with other amateur sports in United States, this organization took over the control of the
gymnastics in U.S. Various "championships" started to develop by various clubs and
organizations at about the same time during 1880s. As an organized and truly competitive sport,
gymnastics has existed for a little more than a century. It was introduced in the mid 1800s to the
United States, where it inexorably gained in popularity within school systems.

The first large-scale competition was the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece. There Germany
have been the dominant team by almost sweeping every medal. Five countries have participated
in this event. Men's competitions included horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse, rings, and
vault.

The first international event following 1896 Olympics was held in 1903 in Antwerp, Belgium.
There competed gymnasts from such places as Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands. This event is now considered the first World Championship. The first men's team
competition was added and held in 1904 Olympics at St. Louis. The first women’s Olympic
gymnastics events were held in 1928. After the Olympics began to officially host gymnastics, the
World Championship gymnastics meet emerged in the early 1900s, and it is still held to this very
day.

By ninth World Championship in 1930 at Luxembourg, the gymnastic competition included

track and field events such as pole vault, broad jump, shot put, rope climb, and 100-meter dash.
Following that, track and field events started to disappear from gymnastics events, such as World
Championships. They fully disappeared from the sport of gymnastics by 1954 World
Championships.

During 1924 Olympics in France marked the beginning of what they are today. In gymnastics,
men started to compete for individual Olympic titles in each gymnastic event. The first women's
gymnastic team debuted during the 1928 Olympics. The first women's event during 1928
Olympics was the team combined exercise, where it was dominated by Netherlands. The first
U.S. women's gymnastic team competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
In 1962, rhythmic gymnastics were recognized as a sport by the International Gymnastics
Federation (FIG). In 1963 in Budapest, Hungary, the first Rhythmic World Championship took
place. It included 28 athletes from 10 countries. In 1973, the United States joined the sport of
rhythmic gymnastics during the Rhythmic World Championships. During the 1984 Olympics in
Los Angeles, the rhythmic individual all-around competition was held for the first time. At the
Centennial Olympics this year in Atlanta, the rhythmic group event will be a medal-sport for the
first time.

In 1970, the United States Gymnastics Federation, now formally known as USA Gymnastics,
was organized and became the governing body on this sport in the U.S. It is still exist today.

Gymnastics does not encourage violence in the same way contact sports do -- indeed, when one
is part of a gymnastics team, one has to work in synchronicity with and have a certain trust for
the other members, a valuable lesson in this individualism-driven social environment. This can
certainly help in any future employment, especially if your child is interested in professions that
involve lots of interpersonal communication.

Beyond practice, gymnastics also requires physical discipline. For instance, if you do not move
in the way that you are taught to move when on parallel bars, you will have falls and
disappointment--and then, of course, you learn from the mistake, pick up, and try it again.
Playing at gymnastics braces a person for the future in that way: it prepares them for the
inevitable necessity of determination and endurance in any of life’s endeavors, whether in
business or in education. In conjunction with school study habits, practice for gymnastics can
indeed lead a young person into a level and graceful confidence. In fact, for as physically driven
as gymnastics happens to be, it is also an extremely intellectual sport: every motion requires
forethought, for in the game, if you do not think of what you are going to do before you do it,
you’ll end up on the mat.

Phases of Gymnastics

Gymnastics may seem to be nothing more than a competition for many people. This is because
US people have the exposure of gymnastics is restricted to the Championships meets that are
aired via Television or the Olympics. But, the truth is something else. Gymnastics is indeed a
“gateway” sport. Confidence and body awareness are great attributes to Gymnastics, which
enable a person to participate in lot of other activities.

Another attribute of Gymnastics is an increased awareness of your body. If you undergo training
in Gymnastics, you will be able to accomplish easier recovery from falls and strategic changes in
your body position.

Now let us know what the phases of Gymnastics that actually help you to quickly recover from
falls and changes in your body position are.
The three phases in gymnastics are:

• takeoff phase
• the skill performance
• landing phase.

Though the takeoff phase and the skill performance phase are enjoyable, the real enjoyment in
the sport lies in the landing phase. To complete performing the skill, you have to land safely and
to land safely, you need a lot of practice. The gymnastic coach helps you to accomplish the task
and trains you to achieve ultimate success in your performance.

The whole set up makes it interesting to undergo training in gymnastics. When you are
introduced to a skill, you will have the advantage of plenty of mats, soft foam-filled pits, and an
instructor to physically guide (spot) you through the proper performance of the skill.

You will ultimately perform the skill without the aid from an instructor or training devices
because in the phase of training, you will develop enough confidence and competence.

Areas/ Forms of Gymnastics

• Artistic Gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is usually divided into Men's and Women's Gymnastics. Each group does
different events; Men compete on Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Vault, Parallel
Bars, and High Bar, while women compete on Vault, Uneven Bars, 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.

Traditionally, at the international level, competitions on the various apparatus consisted of two
different performance categories: compulsory and optional. For the compulsory event, each
gymnast performing on a specific apparatus executed the same required routine. At the optional
level, the gymnast performed routines that he or she choreographed. Nowadays, each country
may use compulsory and optional routines at their discretion in the training of young gymnasts.

Women's events
Vault
In the vaulting events gymnasts: sprint down a 25 meter (about 82 feet) runway, jump
onto a beatboard - a kind of springboard, (run/ take-off segment), land momentarily,
generally inverted on the hands, on the vaulting horse or vaulting table, (pre flight
segment), then spring or block off of this platform to a two footed landing (post flight
segment). The post flight segment may include one or more multiple saltos or
somersaults, and or twisting movements.
 In 2001, the traditional vaulting horse was replaced with a new apparatus, sometimes
known as a tongue or table. The new apparatus is more stable, wider, and longer than the
older vaulting horse - approx. 1m in length and 1m in width, gives gymnasts a larger
blocking surface, and is therefore safer than the old vaulting horse. With the addition of
this new, safer vaulting table, gymnasts are attempting more difficult and dangerous
vaults.

Uneven Bars
On the uneven bars (also known as asymmetric bars, UK), the gymnast navigates two
horizontal bars set at different heights. The height is generally fixed, but the width may
be adjusted. Gymnasts perform swinging, circling, transitional, and release moves,that
may pass over, under, and between the two bars. Movements may pass through the
handstand. Gymnasts often mount the Uneven Bars using a beatboard (springboard).

Balance Beam
The gymnast performs a choreographed routine from 60 to 80 seconds in length
consisting of leaps, acrobatic skills, somersaults, turns and dance elements on a padded
sprung beam. Apparatus norms set by the International Gymnastics Federation (used for
Olympic and most elite competitions) specify the beam must be 125 cm (4' 1") high, 500
cm (16' 5") long, and 10 cm (4") wide.[6] The event requires in particular, balance,
flexibility and strength.

Floor
The floor event occurs on a carpeted 12m × 12m square, usually consisting of hard foam
over a layer of plywood, which is supported by springs or foam blocks generally called a
"sprung" floor. This provides a firm surface that will respond with force when
compressed, allowing gymnasts to achieve extra height and a softer landing than would
be possible on a regular floor. Female gymnasts perform a choreographed exercise 70 to
90 seconds long. In levels 7 and up, they can choose an accompanying music piece,
which must be instrumental and cannot include vocals. In the USA, the other levels must
perform a routine that is choreographed for them by USAG and these routines come with
music. The routines of a female gymnast consist of tumbling passes, series of jumps,
dance elements, acrobatic skills, and turns. A gymnast usually performs three or four
tumbling passes that include three or more skills or "tricks". Elite gymnasts can have up
to six or seven tumbling passes.
At the compulsory levels (1-6) gymnasts are judged on a scale of 10, but as they reach the higher
levels, particularly levels 9 and 10, the gymnasts' start-values may vary depending upon a
number of different factors such as skill level and skill combinations. Also, every skill has a
letter grade describing its difficulty. At level nine, to reach a start value of ten, the gymnast has
to acquire bonus points, which she can achieve by connecting two or more skills of a certain high
level of difficulty.

Compulsory levels of gymnastics have choreographed routines, and all women competing at that
level do the same routines. In the United States, compulsory levels go from 1-6; most gymnasts
start at levels 1-4 . In optional level competitions, however, all routines are different and have
different floor music. Optional levels in the U.S. include levels 7 - 10 (elite). The Olympics, and
college level gymnastics are also optional. In the Olympics, gymnasts are considered elite level
gymnasts, which is higher level than the U.S. level 10.

Men's events

Floor Exercise
Male gymnasts also perform on a 12m. by 12m. sprung floor A series of tumbling passes
are performed to demonstrate flexibility, strength, and balance. The gymnast must also
show strength skills, including circles, scales, and press handstands. Men's floor routines
usually have four passes that will total between 60–70 seconds and are performed without
music, unlike the women's event. Rules require that gymnasts touch each corner of the
floor at least once during their routine.

Pommel Horse
A typical pommel horse exercise involves both single leg and double leg work. Single leg
skills are generally found in the form of scissors, an element often done on the pommels.
Double leg work however, is the main staple of this event. The gymnast swings both legs
in a circular motion (clockwise or counterclockwise depending on preference) and
performs such skills on all parts of the apparatus. To make the exercise more challenging,
gymnasts will often include variations on a typical circling skill by turning (moores and
spindles) or by straddling their legs (Flares). Routines end when the gymnast performs a
dismount, either by swinging his body over the horse, or landing after a handstand.
Still Rings
Still Rings is arguably the most physically demanding event. The rings are suspended on
wire cable from a point 5.75 meters off the floor, and adjusted in height so the gymnast
has room to hang freely and swing. He must perform a routine demonstrating balance,
strength, power, and dynamic motion while preventing the rings themselves from
swinging. At least one static strength move is required, but some gymnasts may include
two or three. A routine should have a dismount equal in difficulty to the difficulty of the
routine as a whole.

Vault
Gymnasts sprint down a runway, which is a maximum of 25 meters in length, before
hurdling onto a spring board. The body position is maintained while "punching"
(blocking using only a shoulder movement) the vaulting platform. The gymnast then
rotates to a standing position. In advanced gymnastics, multiple twists and somersaults
may be added before landing. Successful vaults depend on the speed of the run, the
length of the hurdle, the power the gymnast generates from the legs and shoulder girdle,
the kinesthetic awareness in the air, and the speed of rotation in the case of more difficult
and complex vaults.

Parallel Bars
 Men perform on two bars slightly further than a shoulder's width apart and usually 1.75m
high while executing a series of swings, balances, and releases that require great strength
and coordination.

High Bar
A 2.4cm thick steel bar raised 2.5m above the landing area is all the gymnast has to hold
onto as he performs giants (revolutions around the bar), release skills, twists, and changes
of direction. By using all of the momentum from giants and then releasing at the proper
point, enough height can be achieved for spectacular dismounts, such as a triple-back
salto. Leather grips are usually used to help maintain a grip on the bar.

As with the women, male gymnasts are also judged on all of their events, for their execution,
degree of difficulty, and overall presentation skills.

Rhythmic gymnastics

The discipline of rhythmic gymnastics is competed only by women (although there is a new
version of this discipline for men being pioneered in Japan, see Men's rhythmic gymnastics), and
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. Rhythmic routines are scored out of a possible 20 points, and the music used by
the gymnast can contain vocals, but may not contain words.

 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 on a small floor area and
generally last 60-90 seconds.

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 pick their own music, but lyrics or Disney music are not allowed.

Performers must compete in preparatory grades A and B, then move on to grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5;
by 3, 4 and 5 two routines are required, one for balances and another for tempos.

TeamGym

TeamGym originates from Scandinavia and this particular type of Gymnastics has been a major
event for over 20 years. A team in this sport can have from 6 to 12 members, either all male, all
female or a mixed squad. The team shows three disciplines, Trampette, Tumbling and Floor.

In every run of Tumbling and Trampette only six gymnasts compete. They stream their abilities
(meaning that one gymnast goes after one another very quickly) The best move is the one
performed last. Both are performed to music.

Floor
All members of the Team take part here. It is a mixture of Dance, flexibility and skill.
The routine has to be skillfully choreographed and the judges look out for changes in
shape. There need to be at least two body waves involved, one spin, two balances and
some actual gymnastic acrobatics. The Floor is performed to music.
Trampette
Here a trampette is used. There are two components of this; Vault and the Trampette on
its own. There has to be three runs in total. At least one of these runs has to be a vault
run. Another run has to include all the gymnasts doing the same move. This is generally
the first run. This is also performed to music.
Tumbling
Again, here there are three runs (rounds) involved. One of which has to include all six
gymnasts doing a forwards series. Another run also has to include the gymnasts
completing the same move. Each series must have at least three different acrobatic
elements.