Gymnastics

History
of

Gymnastics
Etymology

• The word gymnastics derives from the common Greek

◈ adjective “gymnos” meaning "naked", by way of the related verb “gymnazo”, whose meaning

is "to train naked”.

• The verb had this meaning, because athletes in ancient times exercised and competed
without clothing. It came into use in the 1570s, from Latin gymnasticus, from Greek
gynmastikos "fond of or skilled in bodily exercise," from gymnazein "to exercise or train"
 History of Gymnastics
• In 1569, Girolamo Mercuriale from Forlì
(Italy) wrote Le Arte Gymnastica, which
brought together his study of the attitudes
of the ancients toward diet, exercise and
hygiene, and the use of natural methods for
the cure of disease. Le Arte Gymnastica
also explained the principles of physical
therapy and is considered the first book on
sports medicine.
 History of Gymnastics
• In the late 18th and early 19th century :
- Johann Friedrich GutsMuths and Friedrich
Ludwig Jahn – created exercises for boys
and young men on apparatus they had
designed that ultimately led to what is
considered modern gymnastics. - Don
Francisco Amorós y Ondeano – introduce
educative gymnastic in France. Jahn
promoted the use of parallel bars, rings and
 History of Gymnastics

• 1881 - The Federation of International

Gymnastics (FIG) was founded in Liege.
By the end of the nineteenth century,
men's gymnastics competition was
popular enough to be included in the
first "modern" Olympic Games in 1896.
 • The Fédération Internationale
de Gymnastique (FIG) or
International Federation
of Gymnastics (IFG) is the
governing body of
competitive gymnastics. Its
headquarters is in Lausanne,
Switzerland. It was founded
on July 23, 1881 in Liège,
Belgium, making it the worlds
oldest existing international sport
organisation.
Originally called the European Federation of
Gymnastics, it had three member countries –
 History of Gymnastics
• From then on until the early 1950s, both
national and international competitions
involved a changing variety of exercises
gathered under the rubric, gymnastics, that
would seem strange to today's audiences
and that included for example,
synchronized team floor calisthenics, rope
climbing, high jumping, running, and
horizontal ladder
SYNCHRONIZED TEAM CALISTHENICS
 History of Gymnastics
• During the 1920s, women organized and
participated in gymnastics events. The
first women's Olympic competition was
primitive, only involving synchronized
calisthenics and track and field. These
games were held in 1928, in Amsterdam
 History of Gymnastics
• By 1954, Olympic Games apparatus and
events for both men and women had been
standardized in modern format, and uniform
grading structures (including a point
system from 1 to 15) had been agreed
upon.
- Nadia Comăneci received the first perfect score, at
the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada.
She was coached in Romania by coach, (Hungarian
ethnicity), Béla Károlyi.
 History of Gymnastics

• In 2006, a new points system for Artistic

gymnastics was put into play. With an A Score (or
D score) being the difficulty score, which as of
2009 is based on the top 8 high scoring elements
in a routine (excluding Vault). The B Score (or E
Score), is the score for execution, and is given
for how well the skills are performed
Equipment/ Apparatus
for

Gymnatics
Equipment/ Apparatus For Gymnatics
Still rings - Two parallel rings 50cm apart,
suspended from a cable and straps and held,
one in each hand, for a series of exercises in
men's artistic gymnastics particularly requiring
stillness of the body; also called the "rings".
Uneven bars - An apparatus in women's artistic
gymnastics with a top bar 2.4m above the floor
and a lower bar 1.6m high, used for a
continuous series of grip changes, releases,
new grasps and other complex moves.
High bar - A bar standing 2.75 metres high, used
in men's artistic gymnastics; also called the
"horizontal bar".
Parallel bars (Artistic) - An apparatus
consisting of two wooden rails on uprights,
adjustable in height and used for swinging,
vaulting and balancing exercises in men's
artistic gymnastics.
Pommel horse - A solid apparatus 115
centimetres high with two handles, or pommels,
on top that men in artistic gymnastics use for a
series of manoeuvres defined by complex hand
placements and body positions while holding
themselves above the apparatus.
Plane - An imaginary surface where moves are
performed, i.e. lateral, frontal, horizontal or
diagonal. Diagonal plane - An imaginary surface
at less than a 90-degree angle to the floor, where
moves are performed.
Horizontal plane - An imaginary surface, level
with the ground, where moves are performed.
Lateral plane - An imaginary surface to the side
of, and parallel to, the body, where moves are
performed.
Safety platform - A large, thick mat that sits on
the floor at each end of the trampoline to
Vault - A solid apparatus similar to the pommel
horse, but lacking handles, and used in men's
and women's artistic gymnastics for a variety
of handsprings from a running approach.
Beatboard - The springboard used in the men's
and women's vault.
Ball - It is made of either rubber or synthetic
material (pliable plastic) provided it possesses the
same elasticity as rubber. It is from 18 to 20 cm in
diameter and must have a minimum weight of
400g. The ball can be of any colour and should
rest in the gymnast's hand, not the wrist.
Hoop - A hoop is an apparatus in rhythmic
gymnastics and may be made of plastic or wood,
provided that it retains its shape during the
routine. The interior diameter is from 51 to 90
cm, and the hoop must weigh a minimum of
It is made of satin or another similar material cloth of any colour and may be multi-coloured as well as have designs on it. The ribbon itself must be at least 35g (1 oz), 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4") in width and for senior catego

Ribbon - It is made of satin or another similar material

cloth of any colour and may be multi-coloured as well
as have designs on it. The ribbon itself must be at least
35g (1 oz), 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4") in width and for senior
category a minimum length of 6m (20') (5m (16.25') for
It is made of satin or another similar material cloth of any colour and may be multi-coloured as well as have designs on it. The ribbon itself must be at least 35g (1 oz), 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4") in width and for senior catego

Clubs - The club is built along an internal rod, providing

a base on which a handle made of polyolefin plastic is
wrapped, providing an airspace between it and the
internal rod. This airspace provides flex, cushioning
impact, making the club softer on the hands. Foam
ends and knobs further cushion the club.
Rope - Rope may be made of hemp or a synthetic
material which retains the qualities of lightness and
suppleness. Its length is in proportion to the size of the
gymnast. The rope should, when held down by the feet,
reach both of the gymnasts' armpits. One or two knots
at each end are for keeping hold of the rope while doing
At the ends (to the exclusion of all other parts of the rope)
an anti-slip material, either coloured or neutral may cover a
maximum of 10 cm (3.94 in). The rope must be coloured,
either all or partially. It may be either of a uniform diameter
or be progressively thicker in the center provided that this
thickening is of the same material as the rope.
 Costumes for

Gymnatics
 A leotard is a unisex skin-
tight one-piece garment
that covers the torso but
leaves the legs free. It was
made famous by the
French acrobatic
performer Jules Léotard
(1838–1870).
Leotards are worn by acrobats, gymnasts,
dancers, figure skaters, athletes, actors, and
circus performers both as practice garments
They are often worn together with
ballet skirts on top and tights or
sometimes bike shorts as underwear.
There are sleeveless, short-sleeved
and long- sleeved leotards. A
variation is the unitard, which also
covers the legs. As a casual garment,
a leotard can be worn with a belt, it
can also more commonly worn under
overalls or short skirts.
 Acro shoes - They are typically
laceless, slip-on shoes, with tight-
fitting leather uppers that are
designed to prevent the dancer's
feet from shifting inside the shoes.
Because of their thin, pliable leather
uppers and split soles, acro shoes
have excellent flexibility, thus
enabling dancers to attain both good
dance form and acrobatic control.
The sole is made of soft, composite rubber so as
to provide both high traction and cushioning, and
it provides excellent protection from skin
abrasion as it covers the entire bottom of the
 Foot thongs - which
are slip-on, partial
foot covers that
protect only the ball
of the foot—are
sometimes preferred
over acro shoes for
aesthetic reasons.

Flesh colored foot thongs endow the wearer with

the appearance of having bare feet, while
retaining some degree of the traction, cushioning,