Some form of gymnastics has existed for more than 2,000 years, and artistic gymnastics dates back to the first Olympic Games. Gymnastics has evolved dramatically throughout the years. The requirements become more difficult each Olympics, as gymnasts add more rotations to dismounts, and create their own skills. The Olympics have added new apparatuses in artistic gymnastics, while eliminating others. In addition, different types of gymnastics now compete in the games.
Men's Artistic
Men's artistic gymnastics has been a sport at every Olympic event, beginning with the very first games at Athens in 1896. Germany won the most medals that first year. The events included climbing, acrobatics and events still used today: horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse, rings and vault. The men's team combined first competed in the Olympics in 1904. In 1924, the Olympics added the men's apparatus individual competition, setting the foundation for the modern games. Today, men compete on six events: the floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar.
Women's Artistic
The women's artistic event did not begin until the 1928 Amsterdam games with the women's team combined exercise. The Netherlands won that first team competition. An American team did not compete in the Olympics until the 1936 games in Berlin, Germany. In 1952, the women's program included seven events. Eight years later, the program was down to six events. The modern games include four events: the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Rhythmic
Although the Internationale de Gymnastique Federation has recognized rhythmic gymnastics as a sport since 1962, rhythmic gymnastics did not enter the Olympic arena until the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Rhythmic gymnastics has been an Olympic event ever since, with only a women's competition. Canada's Lori Fung won the gold medal in rhythmic's inaugural year. Originally, rhythmic gymnasts only competed as individuals. The Olympics added a team event at the 1996 Atlanta games. Rhythmic events include the ball, hoop, rope, clubs and ribbon.
Trampoline
A relatively new sport, trampoline debuted at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Men and women compete on the trampoline in individual events. The gymnasts compete in socks or gym shoes, with no time limit for their routines, but they must not have any breaks in jumping or skills. At the first games, Russia won the gold in the men and women's competition. In 2004, Ukraine won the men's, while Germany won the women's event. At the 2008 Beijing games, China dominated the sport, winning the men's and women's finals.
References
- Olympic.org: Artistic Gymnastics Equipment and History
- USA Gymnastics: History of Artistic Gymnastics
- Federation International de Gymnastique: Artistic Gymnastics History
- Olympic.org: Rhythmic Gymnastics Equipment and History
- USA Gymnastics: History of Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Olympic.org: Trampoline Gymnastics Equipment and History
Member Comments