Teen & Sport Online Magazine

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic Gymnastics is a beautiful and elegant sport and it's all about grace and beauty!
 

Rhythmic gymnastics is a challenging and exiting activity for all children. Rhythmic Gymnastics focuses on body awareness and hand-eye coordination, team spirit, confidence building and problem solving.

Rhythmic Gymnastics provides children with the unique opportunity to express themselves to music, and the chance to compete at National and International level competitions. Rhythmic Gymnastics first appeared during the 19th century and slowly grew in popularity until the first experimental competitions were staged during the 1930s. Having evolved to incorporate elements from classical ballet, German muscle-building techniques and Swedish exercise systems, it’s one of the most beautiful spectacles on the Olympic games.

Rhythmic Gymnastics is preformed by women only and at the Olympic games, each country is limited to eight athletes (two Individual athletes and a group of six athletes for the Group event).

History of Rhythmic Gymnastics at the Olympic Games:
The first World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Budapest in 1963, just over two decades before the discipline made its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 1984 Games. A Group event was added to the programme at Atlanta 1996.

One of just two women-only disciplines in the Olympic Games (the other is Synchronised Swimming), Rhythmic Gymnastics is a combination of gymnastics and dance. Individual competitors perform short routines to music using hand apparatus – a hoop, a ball, clubs and a ribbon. Groups perform two routines, one with five balls and the other with three ribbons and two hoops. Scores are awarded in three categories: difficulty, artistry and execution.
During the routines the apparatus must be in constant motion, with a variety of moves performed.

Rhythmic Gymnastics poetry in motion:
Performed mostly by women, Rhythmic Gymnastics is a discipline combining grace, coordination, agility and artistry. Accompanied by stirring music, the gymnast uses small hand apparatus to weave a routine of flawless beauty moulding gymnast, music and apparatus into one.

The handling of apparatus whilst performing complex turns, pivots, balances and contortionist like movements are characteristic trademarks of this intriguing gymnastics discipline.
Providing participation opportunities for individual or groups, Rhythmic Gymnastics is the perfect sport for those with a penchant for dance and movement to music and where personality and expression can be nurtured over the following pieces of apparatus.

Rhythmic Gymnastics Equipment:

Rhythmic Gymnastics routines containing many dance and ballet characteristics are performed to music using hand apparatus.

There are five pieces of rhythmic gymnastics hand apparatus: rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. Every two years, the International Gymnastics Federation designates four of the apparatus to be used, and the other to be set aside for that time period.

Each event is performed on a floor mat measuring about 42.5 feet by 42.5 feet. It is not the same as the floor exercise mat used in artistic gymnastics – it doesn’t have the same amount of spring or padding to it. This is at the request of rhythmic gymnasts, because it is much easier to perform the skills required on a floor without spring and padding.