Gymnastics

History

Gymnastics is a sport in which contestants (gymnasts) perform acrobatic exercises on various types of gymnastic equipment. It has its roots in ancient Greek methods of exercise and physical development. All Greek cities had a gymnasium or a courtyard where men trained. The sport was revived in the 19th century and was included in the 1896 Olympic games.

Rules

There are six events: the pommel horse, the rings, the horse vault, the parallel bars, the beam balance and floor exercises. There are compulsory and optional events. In the compulsory round all participants perform the same routine. The gymnast choreographs the optional round.

The lower age limit for international meets is 16 years.

Only instrumental music is allowed.

A ten point system is used for judging. Each event is given a difficulty level and the point system varies accordingly. Minor errors result in the loss of 0.1 of a point; more serious errors cost the gymnast 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4 of a point.

Greats

Romanian Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. Comaneci received the Olympic Order, the highest award given by the International Olympic Committee, in 1984 and 2004. She is the only person to receive this honor twice, and was also the youngest recipient. She was the first gymnast to successfully perform an aerial walkover and an aerial cartwheel on the beam.

Did You Know?

Mallakhamb is the traditional Indian form of gymnastics. The gymnast performs his feats while hanging from a wooden pole or a rope. The pole may either be fixed to the ground or hung from the ceiling by a hook or chain.

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