Artistic gymnastics

Sport

2022

We explain what artistic gymnastics is, its history and characteristics. In addition, we tell you what the devices he uses are like.

Artistic gymnastics seeks to perform elegant, striking, beautiful movements.

What is artistic gymnastics?

Artistic gymnastics (formerly Olympic gymnastics) is a sport discipline, often considered as a branch of gymnastics. gym, whose practice consists of a series of rhythmic and acrobatic movements, using different gymnastic apparatus, to demonstrate the flexibility, coordination, strength, Balance and agility of the athlete. Practitioners of this discipline are known as gymnasts.

Unlike other forms of gymnastics, the exercise of artistic gymnastics aspires to produce an aesthetic effect during the 30 to 90 seconds of movements that it involves, that is, it is sought that the movements are not only coordinated and correct, but also elegant, striking, beautiful. Hence, it is compared to an artistic practice.

This type of gymnastics is practiced by both men and women, either in groups or individually, and is part of the Olympic disciplines, that is, those that are practiced in the Olympic Games International every 4 years. The body that regulates the practice of artistic gymnastics internationally is the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) based in Moutier, Switzerland.

Characteristics of artistic gymnastics

Gymnasts perform movements in the most elegant, precise and coordinated way possible.

In general, artistic gymnastics is characterized by the following:

  • It is practiced by professional athletes, called gymnasts, in competitions individual or group for both the female and male gender. The most important competitions are part of the International Olympic Games (JJOO).
  • Artistic gymnastics practices usually last between 30 seconds and a minute and a half, and consist of a series of agile, coordinated and balanced movements on a surface of regulation measures, using gymnastic devices such as asymmetric bars, the balance beam, the vault , rings, high bar, pommel horse and parallel bars.
  • The task of the gymnasts is to perform the movements in the most elegant, precise, coordinated and efficient way possible. The aesthetic aspect is fundamental in the evaluation of these actions, for which a format from 1 to 10 is used.

history of artistic gymnastics

The origins of gymnastics are remote in the history of humanity. The ancient Greeks already practiced it, as part of the military preparation of the soldiers, and in times of peace for Olympic purposes.

However, the origin of artistic gymnastics itself dates back to the 19th century, specifically to 1811, and is due to Professor Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852), from the German Institute in Berlin. Jahn created the first open-air space for the practice of this discipline, and designed the first gymnastic apparatus, on which the current ones are inspired.

The success of this new gymnastics spread throughout Germany and led to the founding of various gymnastics clubs, earning Jahn the title of "modern father of gymnastics."

The consolidation of this sports practice took place in 1881, with the foundation of the European Gymnastics Federation, an organization that was later called the International Gymnastics Federation. This was a previous step for the acceptance of this sport in the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896.At that time, artistic gymnastics and athletic competition formed a common ensemble.

Starting with the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, women joined the gymnastic competition. In 1952 artistic gymnastics was formalized as a strictly sporting discipline, independent in all aspects. So much so, that in 1975 the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup was held for the first time.

gymnastic apparatus

On the pommel horse the gymnast performs circular and pendulum pirouettes with the legs.

The current gymnastic apparatus is inspired by the designs created by Jahn in the 19th century, and varies in the female and male category, as follows:

Apparatus of the men's category:

  • The rings. These are two hoops with an internal diameter of 18 cm, which hang 2.75 meters from the ground, separated by a distance of 50 cm. Gymnasts must climb the apparatus and demonstrate their balance, strength and balance, doing different pirouettes. The less the strings of the rings tremble, the better the score obtained.
  • The fixed bar It is a 2.40 meter long bar, placed 2.80 meters from the ground on top of a metallic structure, on which the gymnast must perform a series of acrobatics, demonstrating balance and strength. The score will be higher as long as the movements are organic and not improvised.
  • The pommel horse. It is a device 1.15 meters high, 1.60 meters long and 35 cm wide, whose shape resembles that of a horse, on whose back there are two transverse rings. Holding on to the rings, the gymnast must perform circular and pendulum pirouettes with his legs, without interruptions and without touching the apparatus with his legs.
  • The parallel bars.These are two parallel bars 3.5 meters long, suspended at a height of 1.75 meters and separated by 42 centimeters, on which the gymnast must perform different strength exercises, such as handstands and full-body turns, holding only with hands.
  • The pony jump. It is a device 1.35 meters high, arranged at the end of a track 25 meters long and next to a trampoline. The gymnast must take off and jump off the vault with the help of the springboard, keeping both feet together and resting both hands on the vault, in order to land two meters or more from the apparatus. You have two opportunities for this.
  • Soil. It is the floor of the competition arena, covered with an elastic material forming a surface of 12 square meters. The gymnast has between 50 and 70 seconds to perform a series of gymnastic and acrobatic movements without interruption.

Women's category apparatus.

  • The uneven bars. These are two bars suspended at different levels, one between 140 and 160 centimeters high, the other between 235 and 240 centimeters, separated by a distance of between 1 and 1.43 meters. The gymnasts must perform in 30 seconds a set of pirouettes moving between the two bars, building a pattern that culminates in a final acrobatic jump.
  • The balance beam. It is a solid bar located 1.2 meters high, 10 centimeters wide and 5 meters long. On it the gymnasts must perform a series of balance and agility acrobatics, having between 70 and 90 seconds of time. The qualification largely depends on the exercise looking like it was done on the floor and not on a narrow surface, for which it must be done in an uninterrupted, harmonious and concatenated manner. In case of falling from the bar, the gymnast has 10 seconds to return to her place and continue the exercise.
  • The pony jump.It is the same apparatus as in the men's category, arranged in the same way: 120 centimeters high, 35 centimeters wide and 160 centimeters long, located next to a springboard at the end of a 25-meter-long track.
  • Soil. It is the floor, which is covered by an elastic material that protects from falls, over a surface of 12 square meters. The gymnast has between 70 and 90 seconds to carry out a gymnastic routine with fluidity, grace and coordination, which usually includes somersaults and changes of direction and level of movement.

Modalities of artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is typically practiced in three different modalities:

  • General individual competition. Where each gymnast demonstrates their skills in all the available devices, and the score obtained in each one is added to generate a general classification average.
  • Individual apparatus finals. Where the best gymnast is chosen in each specific apparatus, chosen among the 8 best in the general individual competition, that is, those with the highest scores.
  • Team competition. Where the gymnasts of each team must participate together. These teams are also chosen based on performance in the general individual competition.
!-- GDPR -->