Introduction

Gymnastics is one of the oldest Olympic sports. It has always been a part of the ancient, as well as the modern Olympic Games. The term “gymnastics” derives from the Greek word “gymnos”, meaning naked. This is also the root of the word “gymnasium”, which was a training area where athletes gathered to exercise, compete in sports and receive training in philosophy, music and literature.

The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) was formed on 23 July 1881 when representatives of the gymnastics associations of Belgium, France and the Netherlands met in Liège. As a governing body it is held in high esteem by both its member federations and gymnastics clubs throughout five continents. In 1897, seventeen national associations joined together to form the basis of the European Gymnastics Federation. However, when the USA was admitted in 1921, the Committee changed its name to the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique or FIG, as it is known today.

FIG comprises three Olympic disciplines: artistic, rhythmic and trampoline.

Each discipline is controlled by a Technical Committee made up of a Technical President and six members.The Technical Committees are responsible for the coordination and control of their specific discipline in terms of the technical requirements for competition as they relate to each specific discipline.

Understanding Artistic Gymnastics

Artistic Gymnastics is one of the most popular disciplines of the Olympic Games and at the same time one of the most demanding, since it combines strength, skill and flexibility. Men participate in six apparatus: Floor Exercises, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. Women participate in four apparatus: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercises.

The Competition Area

An 80 to 110 cm-high podium is required for Artistic Gymnastics events. The apparatus are placed on this podium and stabilised on the suitable sockets, in specific distances between them and with a safety margin from the end of the podium, in accordance with the Technical Regulations of the International Gymnastics Federation.

Men's Apparatus

Floor
Floor Exercises are executed on a 12 x 12m mat with a 1-metre safety border around it. It is placed on a special wooden underlay, which is necessary for the athletes' take-offs and landings. Athletes have 70 seconds to execute an exercise that includes somersaults, strength and balance exercises.

Pommel Horse
The Pommel Horse is 1.60m long, 1.05m tall and carries two pommels (handles). The distance between the pommels is 40 to 45cm. Athletes execute a series of circular exercises with legs apart and legs together in a routine with a continuous flow and interchange of exercises and grips along the width of the horse.

Rings
The Rings are made of wood and are hung from a special metal structure with belts and wire ropes, 2.80m above the floor. Athletes perform a series of exercises with swings and holds and other static and dynamic elements, while the routine finishes with an impressive acrobatic dismount.

Vault
Since 2001, a slightly inclined level table (Vaulting Table) has replaced the vault, placed on a special metal base 1.35m high. The approach run is 25m. After gaining speed with the running start, athletes bounce off the spring board, push the Vault Table with their hands and, after performing single or multiple turns and pirouettes, try to finish with a controlled and steady landing behind the Vault Table.

Parallel Bars
Parallel Bars are two 3.5m-long parallel wooden bars, standing on a metal base 2.00m above the ground. Athletes perform routines combining an interchange of swinging movements with strength or hold elements above and below the two bars.

Horizontal Bar
It is a steel bar with a 2.8cm-diameter and 2.4m-length that rests on two metal bases 2.80m above the ground. The routine in one of the most spectacular apparatus of men's Artistic Gymnastics includes clean swinging movements, not allowing the athlete to touch the bar with his body. The athlete demonstrates changes of grip, swinging movements both forward and backward and elevation exercises reaching up to 4m high. Dismounts are usually acrobatic and spectacular.

Women's apparatus

Vault
Since 2001, a slightly inclined level tablet (Vault Table) has replaced the Vault, placed on a special metal base, 1.25m high. The approach run is about 25m. After gaining speed, athletes bounce off of the spring board, push the apparatus with their hands and then perform turns and pirouettes, finishing with a controlled landing.

Uneven Bars
Uneven Bars consist of two parallel wooden bars 2.40m long, each on a different height above the floor (2.45m and 1.65m). The gymnasts swing in both directions, above and below the bars, ending the routine with a controlled dismount and landing.

Balance Beam
The Balance Beam is 5m long, 1.25m above the ground, and only 10cm wide. It is the apparatus that most often determines the winner of the competition. Gymnasts have 1' 30'' minutes to perform, steadily and without falls, a combination of acrobatic exercises, jumps, turns, dancing movements and balance exercises.

Floor
Floor Exercises are executed on a 12 x 12m surface with a 1-metre safety border around it. The surface rests on a special wooden underlay, which is necessary for the athletes' take-offs and landings. Athletes present their routine with the accompaniment of music, combining dance with acrobatic exercises, using the whole surface of the floor.

Athletes Equipment

Clothing
Men must wear a sleeveless Gymnastics singlet and short pants for the Floor Exercises and Vault, while for the rest of the apparatus long gymnastics pants and a singlet. Women must always wear a leotard. Men and women use special leather slippers, socks or compete barefoot.

Magnesia
Athletes use a powder on their hands and feet known as magnesia, in order to secure steadiness in their position and to keep their hands dry for a good grip during the elements.

Hand guards
In some apparatus, eg the Horizontal Bar, Parallel Bar, Uneven Bars and Rings, men and women athletes wrap their hands with special leather hand guards for a better grip.

The Event

In Artistic Gymnastics, men and women compete separately, men in six apparatus and women in four. In the Olympic Games, the competition schedule for men and women is separated into four parts:

Qualifications:
98 women and 98 men athletes compete as team members or individually (12 teams with 6 athletes on each team and 26 individually), to qualify for the Team-Finals, Individual All-Around and Apparatus Finals. The scores of the qualifying event are not transferred to the finals.

Team Finals:
The best eight teams participate according to their placement at the qualifying event. Each team consists of six gymnasts, but only three of them compete in each apparatus. Each team's final score is based on the three scores attained in each apparatus. The winning team is the one with the highest total score in all apparatus.

Individual All-Around Finals:
The best 24 men or women out of the qualifying event participate, performing voluntary exercises on each apparatus. Maximum two athletes from each NOC participate in the Individual All-Around Finals. The gymnast with the highest total score in all apparatus is proclaimed the winner.

Apparatus Finals:
The top eight athletes participate in the six apparatus for men and four apparatus for women, according to the placement during the preliminary event. In the apparatus finals no more than two athletes from each country may participate. The athlete with the highest total score in the apparatus he or she is competing in is proclaimed winner.

Judges

Evaluation in Artistic Gymnastics follows the rules of the International Gymnastics Federation. An Apparatus Jury follows each apparatus. The Apparatus Jury consists of a Chair of the Apparatus Jury and eight more judges. The eight judges are divided in two groups as follows:

A Jury, which consists of two judges, evaluates the Start Value, which is the highest possible score (10.00) for an athlete, based on the content, the degree of difficulty, the special requirements and the bonus points of the exercise he or she performed.

B Jury, which consists of six judges that determine deductions according to the implementation of the programme.

Scoring