World Gymnastics

World Gymnastics is the global governing body for all gymnastics disciplines.

It ensures that competitions remain fair and organized across the world. The organization is responsible for setting the rules for every style of the sport. These rules are contained in a document called the Code of Points. This code tells judges exactly how to evaluate every performance. Beyond scoring, the federation also manages age eligibility for senior competitions. These rules exist primarily to protect young gymnasts from competing too early.

The organization operates through a complex structure of leaders and committees. The main governing bodies include the president and several vice presidents. A Congress is held every two years to manage important decisions. There is also an Executive Committee and a Council to guide the federation. Technical committees exist for each specific gymnastics discipline to manage their unique needs. This structure allows the organization to oversee a massive global network of athletes. In 2023, the federation included 161 national federations. These nations are organized into five continental unions: European, Pan-American, Asian, African, and Oceania.

There are seven distinct gymnastics disciplines governed by World Gymnastics. Artistic gymnastics is split into men's and women's categories. Rhythmic gymnastics focuses on different movements and tools. Aerobic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics are also separate disciplines. The federation also oversees trampolining and double mini trampoline. Finally, the group governs tumbling and parkour. Each discipline has its own specific technical requirements and competition styles. This variety allows many different types of athletes to participate globally.

World Gymnastics is the oldest existing international sports organization in the world. It was founded on 23 July 1881 in Liège, Belgium. Originally, it was known as the European Federation of Gymnastics. At its start, it only had three member countries: Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. In 1921, the organization opened its doors to non-European nations. This caused a name change to the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. The group eventually adopted its current name, World Gymnastics, in December 2025. Its headquarters have been located in Lausanne, Switzerland, since 2016.

The scale of the sport is truly massive. More than 30,000 athletes participate in events sanctioned by World Gymnastics. Interestingly, about 70% of these participating athletes are female. The organization manages many levels of competition for different ages. These include the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games. They also host various World Gymnastics Championships for specific disciplines. There are also World Cup series and World Challenge Cup series. For younger athletes, they organize Junior World Championships and Age Group Competitions.

History also shows how the organization responds to global events. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, World Gymnastics took specific actions. They barred Russian athletes and officials, including judges, from participating. They also cancelled all World Cup and World Challenge Cup events planned for Russia. The federation banned the Russian flag from its events for a time. However, on 19 July 2023, the rules changed slightly. The organization decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as individual neutral athletes. This decision allowed support personnel to assist them as well.

World Gymnastics connects many different parts of the sporting world. It works alongside the International Olympic Committee to manage the Olympic Games. The federation's work ensures that a gymnast in Asia follows the same rules as one in Europe. By maintaining the Code of Points, they create a universal language for the sport. This allows for a global standard of excellence and safety. Through its many continental unions, the organization brings different cultures together under one set of rules. This unified system allows gymnastics to be a truly global celebration of skill.