Women's gymnastics competitions consist of four events, including the vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam and floor routines. Women may also train and compete in trampoline competitions; however, these are not a part of competitive gymnastics. Gymnasts train and compete in all events, integrating strength, coordination, balance and tumbling skills in their compulsory or optional routines, depending on level.
Floor
Floor exercises and routines combine tumbling, flexibility, jumps and dance movements to create a gymnastics performance that is both athletic and beautiful. Required skills for a floor routine depend upon the gymnast's level, but may include tumbling passes with cartwheels, round-offs, handsprings and walkovers, as well as splits and various combinations of jumps. Gymnasts perform floor routines on a special spring-mounted floor surface to allow for extra height in jumps and tumbling moves.
Balance Beam
The balance beam is a narrow wooden beam, mounted several feet off the floor. Lower level competitive gymnasts perform jumps and turns on the beam, dismounting with a cartwheel. In higher levels of competition, the gymnast tumbles on the beam. The beam routine is timed, with lower-level gymnasts allowed 30 seconds on the beam and higher-level gymnasts allowed one minute and 10 seconds, according to The World of Gymnastics.
Vault
Vaulting requires two pieces of equipment. The springboard provides the gymnast the lift she requires, while the vaulting table enables her to complete the vault. The simplest vault is a handspring, but additional moves and changes in body position, including tucks, pikes or stretches, add complexity, and create more interesting and higher-scoring vaults for skilled gymnasts.
Uneven Parallel Bars
The uneven parallel bars consist of two horizontal bars, mounted parallel to the floor, but at different heights. A successful bar routine requires both excellent upper body strength and perfect timing for the gymnast to execute flips, twists, turns and releases. As in other gymnastics events, lower-level gymnasts complete a compulsory routine, while higher-level gymnasts may choose which moves to include in their parallel bar exercise. Dismounts are typically quite complex, and getting a good score requires a firm, two-footed landing.
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