The basics - for men and women:
Along with events to find the best teams and the best all-around performers, gymnasts battle for gold on individual apparatus.
Artistics Gymnastics jargon
- All-around – competitions that feature a variety of different elements (six for men, four for women).
- Balance Beam – a single beam, 5m long and 10cm wide, used exclusively in women’s competition.
- Rings – two rings, each with an internal diameter of 18cm, are suspended 280cm from the floor. Rings are used exclusively in men’s competition.
- Podium – the raised competition area.
- Vault – the vault is 120cm long and 95cm wide, and is set at a height of 135cm (for men) or 125cm (for women).
- Men’s individual apparatus (Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, Horizontal Bar)
- Women’s individual apparatus (Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor)
- Individual All-Around - both men and women
- Team competitions - both men and women
1. The qualification round - All gymnasts compete; the best 8 teams advance to...
2. The team final - 3 team members compete on each apparatus. Teams are ranked on their total score.
3. The best 24 individual gymnasts - (maximum two from each country) go through to the Individual All-Around final, competing on all apparatus
4. The best eight gymnasts on each apparatus (maximum two from each country) go through to the individual apparatus finals
Gymnasts need incredible strength, control and balance, combined with speed in the Vault. The winning gymnasts will be daring and ambitious – attempting moves that are guaranteed a high score for difficulty if they can be executed to perfection.
What the judges look for:
The jury of nine judges take into account the gymnasts' execution on each apparatus and the degree of difficulty and quality:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Balance
Deductions are made for any mistake in the routine:
- The smallest extra step
- A mere wobble
- Misalignment
Gymnasts must not lose concentration for a moment - their success in this breathtaking and hugely competitive sport depends on it. As in Rhythmic Gymnastics, the winning athletes will come as near to perfection as possible with each apparatus.
More... if you'd like to hold some mini events that mimic the big Olympic Games try these
gymnastics in your own backyard or game room. We found great infographics for the summer games as shown. For many of the winter games, you'll find in-depth explanations at
this site with more fun visuals.
