Gymnastics (79792)

Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, forward rolls, aerials and tucks. more...

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It developed from beauty practices and fitness used by the ancient Greeks, including skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and circus performance skills. In ancient times the term implied exercise taken in the nude by men in a gymnasium, a venue for intellectual and physical education.

It is often considered a dangerous sport, as the difficult acrobatic maneuvers often performed on equipment high above the ground puts the athlete at risk of serious injury.However once a gymnast has reached a certain level of difficulty, injuries become few as the gymnast will have extensive training.

Disciplines

Modern gymnastics, as regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique incorporates six distinct disciplines:

Artistic gymnastics (further classified as Men's Artistic Gymnastics and Women's Artistic Gymnastics); Rhythmic gymnastics; Aerobic gymnastics; Acrobatic gymnastics; Trampolining; General gymnastics; Power Tumbling;

Of these disciplines, the two sub-disciplines of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics are the best known, having been part of Summer Olympic Games competitions. Individual Trampoline has been included in the Summer Olympics since 2000.

Artistic gymnastics

Artistic Gymnastics is usually divided into Men's (MAG) and Women's Gymnastics (WAG), each group doing 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 the past in some countries women competed on the rings and the high bar too, at least at the national level (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. Competitive women's gymnastics consists of two different stages: compulsory and optional. At the compulsory level, the gymnast performs routines that are pre-choreographed for all gymnasts. At the optional level, the gymnast performs routines that she herself choreographed or choreographed with the help of a dance choreographer. Every gymnast's routine at this advanced level will be different.

Women's events

Vault 

In the vaulting events, gymnasts sprint down a 25 meter (about 82 feet) runway, leap onto a springboard and onto the vaulting apparatus in a straight body position, touching the horse with their hands and blocking off of it. Beginners will often be upright; more advanced gymnasts will block off from a handstand position and spring to their feet. The postflight may include one or multiple saltos and twists.

In 2001 the traditional vault was replaced by the new vaulting table, sometimes known as a tongue. The new apparatus is more stable and safer than the old one, giving gymnasts a larger blocking surface. It is also longer -- approx. three feet in length and two feet in width. Deduction in any event(mb) can be as low as ½ tenth deduction.

Uneven Bars

On the uneven bars (also known as asymmetric bars, UK), the gymnast navigates two horizontal bars set at different heights, depending on the height of the gymnast. (The most common setting of the distance between the bars is "F", which is just about in the middle.) Gymnasts perform swinging, circling, transitional, and release moves, as well as handstands. The advanced gymnast must use both bars to receive a high score.

Balance Beam

The gymnast performs a choreographed routine from 50 to 90 seconds in length consisting of leaps, acrobatic skills, turns and dance elements on a padded spring beam about 4 feet high, 16 feet long, and 4 inches wide. The event requires in particular balance and flexibility. If there are any "wobbles" or mishaps there can be deductions. For example: If the gymnast fell off the beam or touched her hands on the beam when she was not supposed to, there would be an automatic 5 tenths deduction. But if she were to wobble, depending on how severe it was, it can be anywhere from a 1 tenth deduction to a 1 point deduction. In any of the gymnast's routines, there are points from 1.0 to 10.0 and everyone starts out with a 10.0. But depending on the lack of required skills and mistakes, gymnasts have points or tenths deducted. There are 100 tenths or 10 points in every routine. 10 is the top score and a 1 is poor. 9.3's and up are considered good scores. 9.6's and up are excellent and can result in high placed awards. A score of 10.0 is very rare.

Floor

Gymnasts perform a choreographed exercise 60 to 120 seconds long. The music must be instrumental - no vocals are allowed. The routines consist of tumbling passes, series of jumps, dance elements, acrobatic skills, and turns on a carpeted, sprung floor 40 feet × 40 feet. It is a one tenth deduction for stepping outside the boundaries, no matter how far out they go. Depending on level all four sides should be used to earn the maximum score. Bent knees, flexed feet, loose arms, and low rise turns, as well as misplacement of the body position will result in deductions.

Read more at Wikipedia.org