Gymnastics
The
sport of Gymnastics shows an athlete’s balance, flexibility, agility, rhythm,
and strength. The three major
competitions in gymnastics are competitive gymnastics, artistic gymnastics,
rhythmic and trampoline. There are seven members on every competitive team in
which only six compete at a time. The
highest five scorers count towards the overall team score.
The women participate in rhythmic gymnastic while men and women compete
artistic and trampoline. The term
gymnastic also means a system of physical exercise used in a therapeutic or
educational way.
History
This
sport originated in Ancient Egypt with acrobats.
Bull Leaping was then developed with the men and women during the period
of the
Minoan Culture. These
athletes would use the bull to toss them into the air so that they could perform
mid-air stunts before landing on the bulls back and then they would dismount
from the bull with a flip. They
actually charged the bull and the bull would toss them in the air. Ancient Greece further developed the sport by categorizing into three
groups. The first is to maintain good
physical condition, the second military training and the third as part
as conditioning for
athletes. These early Greeks were
teachers of physical fitness for both the general pubic as well as the athlete.
These programs were considered necessary to the education of children.
They believed by promoting physical fitness, one would develop unity of
mind and body. The Romans also used
gymnastic exercise to train their military.
It was Germany that developed a form of gymnastic which used a define set
of skills using specific kinds of equipment. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was known as the Father of Gymnastics.
He developed exercise using stationery pieces of equipment to develop
physical strength and self-discipline. The
Swedish system devised by Pehr Henrik Ling concentrated on the rhythmic portion
using the above mentions props. As
these ethnic groups immigrated to the United States they brought passion for
this sport. The Germans soon began to participate in gymnastic with their
families. At the end of the 19th
Century, the United States adopted a physical educational program using both the German
and Swedish Systems for physical fitness.
The children of the United States and Canada did not take to this type of
gymnastic activity, but preferred games rather than exercises.
It wasn't until the 1970
Olympic Games that Gymnastics became a popular sport and caught the public’s attention.
Artistic Gymnastics
There is a required series of events which are judged as individual events and then
each event is compiled for a total score in Artistic gymnastics.
In 1986, Artistic gymnastics was started. This competition in the Olympics has been judged on a
10-point scale by four to six professional judges.
The high and low scores by the judges are eliminated while the judges
take into account the level of difficulties.
Rhythmic Gymnastics
In
rhythmic gymnastics, the athlete uses several props such as ropes, hoops. clubs,
ribbons and balls in separate events as they perform a choreographed
routine. Their feet are not
permitted to leave the mat while they perform some acrobatic movements. These athletes are judged on how well and
difficult they perform as they work in harmony with the equipment while they
perform a routine as error free as possible. Rhythmic gymnastics became an
Olympic Event in 1984. They compete
on a 41-foot square mat. During two
team events, five competitors perform together.
Trampoline Gymnastics
Trampoline
Gymnastic appeared in the Olympics at Sydney Australia in
2000, with both men
and women competing in individual events.
The
athlete jumps up and down on a trampoline and does movements, somersaults,
twists while they are in the air.
They are permitted to jump up to 30 feet high and some athletes stay in
the air for as long as 2 seconds. There
are seven judges while two of them judge the level of difficulty and the other
five determine the athlete ability to execute the routine. These movements are
judged.
Governing Bodies
The
Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (the
International Federation of Gymnastics) is the governing body that oversees this
sport, which is located in Moutier, Switzerland.
The governing body for the United States is USA Gymnastics, which is
located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Men’s and Women's
Events
There
are six events in which men compete in the Artistic gymnastics which are Floor
Exercise, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, Horizontal Bars.
Women, however only compete in four events which are Vault, Uneven Bars,
Balance Beam and Floor Exercise.
For
more information visit:
http://www.gymn-forum.com
http://icdweb.cc.purdue.edu/~schultze/olympic.htm
http://espn.go.com/oly/summer00/gymnastics/index.html
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