Artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is a disciplined sport where athletes perform short routines on specific pieces of equipment called apparatus. This sport is governed globally by World Gymnastics, also known as the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). The FIG manages elite international competition and assigns the Code of Points, which is the official set of rules used to score every performance. Within individual countries, national federations like USA Gymnastics or British Gymnastics regulate the sport. Artistic gymnastics is a highly popular spectator sport, especially during the Summer Olympic Games.

Athletes are judged on three main criteria: execution, the degree of difficulty, and their overall presentation. To ensure fairness, many high-level competitions follow the "Olympic order," which is a specific sequence of events. In Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG), the order is floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. In Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG), the sequence consists of the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. These two branches differ significantly in both the techniques used and the apparatuses provided for the athletes.

The vault is a shared event for both men and women. A gymnast begins by sprinting down a long runway and leaping onto a springboard. This springboard helps the athlete harness energy to direct their body toward the vaulting platform. The gymnast must "pop" or block using their shoulders against the platform to gain height. They then rotate their body to land standing on the far side. In 2004, the traditional vaulting horse was replaced by a wider, longer, and more stable apparatus known as a vaulting table. This new design provides a larger surface for blocking, making it safer for gymnasts to attempt complex twists and somersaults.

Floor exercise routines vary between the two branches. The floor is a specialized surface made of rigid foam over plywood, supported by springs or foam blocks. This construction allows the floor to respond with force, helping gymnasts jump higher and land more softly. Men perform routines lasting 60 to 70 seconds without music, focusing on tumbling, strength, and non-acrobatic skills like circles or press handstands. They must also touch each corner of the floor at least once. Women perform 90-second choreographed routines to instrumental music. These routines combine tumbling passes, jumps, dance elements, and turns.

Men's specific apparatuses include the pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, and the horizontal bar. On the pommel horse, gymnasts perform single-leg "scissors" or double-leg circular motions called flaring or spindles. The still rings are suspended by wire cables, and gymnasts must demonstrate strength while preventing the rings from swinging. Parallel bars require high levels of coordination for swings and releases. Finally, the horizontal bar, or high bar, is a thick steel bar where gymnasts perform 360-degree revolutions called "giants." To maintain a steady grip on the bars, many gymnasts use leather grips and chalk.

Women's specific apparatuses include the uneven bars and the balance beam. The uneven bars consist of two horizontal bars set at different heights. Gymnasts perform pirouettes and transitions between the bars, often using water and chalk to keep their leather grips from slipping. The balance beam is a long, padded spring beam that requires immense balance and flexibility. The history of the beam shows it was once a "low beam" near the ground, but it was raised much higher by the 1920s due to Swedish influence. These events require a combination of acrobatic skills and delicate dance elements.

The history of gymnastics traces back to ancient authors like Homer, Aristotle, and Plato. In early times, gymnastics included many activities like wrestling, boxing, and horse riding, often used for military training. The modern version evolved in Bohemia and Germany during the early 19th century. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, known as the father of gymnastics, invented the horizontal and parallel bars. The FIG was founded in 1881, starting with only three countries. While gymnastics was in the 1896 Olympics, women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics until 1928.

Rules regarding athlete age have changed significantly over time. In the 1970s, the average age of gymnasts began to decrease as the sport became more difficult. By the 1992 Olympics, many elite gymnasts were very young teenagers, which led to concerns about athlete welfare. To address this, the FIG raised the minimum age for international elite competition to 16 in 1997. This change helped bring older gymnasts back to the sport. Today, it is common to see athletes winning medals in their 20s. For example, at the 2024 Olympics, the average age for the Brazilian women's medal-winning team was 25.2 years.