Gymnastics is not regularly a part of national sports coverage, nor does it routinely draw large crowds in the United States. At the international level, particularly at the Olympics, gymnastics becomes a popular draw both domestically and abroad. Certain sports become great sources of pride for various countries, particularly if the sport has a strong cultural presence. For more than 100 years, gymnastics has been a strong source of pride for Russia and its people.
Gymnastics Origins
The early origins of gymnastics go back centuries -- possibly as far back as 2,700 B.C. or earlier. These early forms were more similar to modern-day acrobatics and were performed for entertainment rather than competition. Modern-day gymnastics took on a more structured, competitive form thanks to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn; in the early 1800s, he helped to develop several apparatuses that are still used today, including the high bar, parallel bars and rings, according to website Gymnastics 24/7. Jahn helped to inspire other individuals throughout the world to organize gymnastics federations in their respective regions and countries. One of these influenced people was Pyotr Lesgaft, who founded Russia's first gymnastics federation in 1883.
Rise to Popularity
Prior to 1883, Pyotr Lesgaft had worked in the Imperial Army, where the strength and balance attained through gymnastics was very valuable to soldiers. Lesgaft is considered the founding father of the gymnastics movement in Russia, but he differed from Jahn's philosophy where equipment was concerned. Lesgaft preferred an emphasis on movement, which is one of the primary reasons that rhythmic gymnastics is so popular in Russia.
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics incorporates elements of dance and music into the program. Though not the most common form of gymnastics in other parts of the world, such as the United States, the sport is very popular in Russia, which has a long tradition of success in the sport at international levels. Its national team recently beat China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in front of a Chinese crowd.
Olympic Success
Russia's gymnasts have achieved record-setting success throughout the history of the Olympics, the greatest stage of competition. Larisa Latynina is one of the greatest athletes not just in Russian or gymnastics history but in Olympic history; she has won a record nine goal medals in gymnastics, more than any other athlete, and set the mark for most gold medals by a gymnast in a single Olympics, when she won four in 1956. She also has the most total medals in an Olympic gymnastics career, with 18. On the men's side, Nikolai Andrianov has won the most medals of any gymnast in Olympic history, having earned 15 in three different Olympics.
References
- BBC Sport; Through the Rings of History; March 18, 2004
- Gymnastics 24/7: History of Gymnastics
- University of Idaho; Center for Ethis; Pyotr Franzevich Lesgaft (1837-1909): The Founder of Russian Physical Education; James Riordan
- BBC Sport; Russia Take Group Gymnastics Gold; August 24, 2008
- Gymnastics Zone; Olympic Gymnastics Medal Trivia; John Howard; January 9, 2011
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