Athletic gymnastics
The term “Gymnastics” around the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece meant a set of exercises for education, martial arts and health. The ancient Greeks believed that gymnastics gives the body agility, strength, speed, grace, beauty, and also develops a person’s feelings of courage and nobility. The Greeks used gymnastic exercises not only for physical development, but also for military training. In ancient Rome, special horses were used to prepare legionnaires for battle and they were trained with the help of special beams. In gladiator schools, gymnastics played an indispensable role in improving the speed of movement and in increasing the endurance of the gladiator. In the field of physical education and comprehensive development of youth, humanists in the Renaissance attached great importance to gymnastics. In the XVI century, an outstanding specialist in the field of gymnastics I. Mercurialis published his work “On the art of gymnastics”. The founders of the practical and theoretical foundations in the development of gymnastics are the German teacher Fit (1763-1836) and F. Guts-Mouts (1759-1839). They gave ideas about the biomechanics of gymnastic movements, developed and prepared a technique for gymnastic movements with objects. Father and son P. Ling (1776-1839) and J. Ling (1820-1886), who laid the foundation for Swedish gymnastics, classified exercises according to anatomical features, introduced new objects into gymnastics, ladders and logs of different sizes.
Gymnastics competitions for men are held on six gymnastic equipment: floor exercises, horse swings, rings, support jump, bars and crossbar, for women on four shells: support jump, bars, beam and floor exercises.
Floor exercises are a combination of individual elements (somersaults, flips, splits, handstands, etc.) and their bundles, different in tempo and “mood”. During the performance, athletes should make the most of the entire area of the carpet. The complexity of the program and its individual elements are evaluated, as well as the purity and confidence of execution. Equally important is the originality of the presented composition and the artistry of the athlete – especially for women, whose performances are accompanied by musical accompaniment and include separate dance steps, which in many ways resemble exercises from rhythmic gymnastics. The performance time on the carpet is limited: 1 minute 10 seconds for men and one and a half minutes for women.
Horse-swing exercises (a special projectile with handles) are a combination of swing and rotational movements, as well as handstands, during which all parts of the projectile must be involved.
Exercises on rings (a movable projectile in the form of two wooden rings fixed on special cables) are a combination of flywheel elements (lifts, turns, twists) combined with power elements (static and dynamic), demonstrating the physical strength of the athlete. According to the rules, jumping off the rings at the end of the exercise should be an acrobatic element. As when performing exercises on the crossbar, taking the starting position on the rings, the athlete can use the help of a coach or assistant.
The support jump is performed from a running start using additional support on the body of the jumping horse (hence the name of the exercise). The athlete runs along a special track, pushes off with his feet from the bridge inclined to the take-off line, and then makes an additional push with his hands from the projectile. The performed jumps can be straight, somersaults, with a flip, etc. To get into the final competitions, the gymnast must perform two different jumps, the results of which show the average score for the exercise. The height and range of the jump, its complexity (the number of revolutions around the longitudinal and transverse axes, etc.), the purity of execution and the clarity of landing are evaluated.
Exercises on parallel bars.
Women’s exercises on parallel bars include, first of all, rotations in both directions around the upper and lower bars, as well as various technical elements performed above and below them with rotation around the longitudinal and transverse axis using a grip with one or two hands.
Men’s exercises on parallel bars combine dynamic (rotations, swinging movements, etc.) and static (angle supports, handstands) elements. The gymnast must use the entire length of the apparatus, “working” above and below the bars. The exercises must end with a dismount.
Crossbar exercises are a combination of rotational elements (in different directions) around the crossbar with and without turns, as well as flights (elements with hand release). During the exercise, the athlete has no right to touch the neck with his body. During the performance, he must demonstrate different types of grips and the ability to move cleanly and clearly from one type to another. Exercises should end with a bounce.
Log exercises are a single composition of dynamic (jumps, turns, “runs”, flips, dance steps, etc.) and static (splits, balances, etc.) elements performed standing, sitting and lying on the projectile. Athletes must use the entire length of the beam. The judges evaluate the flexibility, sense of balance and elegance of the gymnasts. The duration of the performance is no more than 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Judging and evaluation
Gymnasts’ performances are evaluated by the judging team “servicing” one or another projectile.
The judges are divided into two groups. Two judges (Team A) evaluate the difficulty of the exercise, and six other judges (Team B) evaluate the technique and quality of performance on a 10-point scale. To quickly fix the technical elements demonstrated by the gymnast during the performance, the judges use more than 1,000 special written signs – by the type of shorthand. The final assessment consists of the sum of the two assessments of Brigade A and Brigade B.
According to the rules, when performing exercises on uneven bars, rings and a crossbar, an assistant may be next to the projectile to insure the athlete, but if the gymnast is forced to use his help, 0.8 points are automatically deducted from the speaker. Stepping over the carpet line (when performing floor exercises) or the line on the support jump or non-compliance with the time limit of performance is also punishable by a decrease in the score (from 0.1 to 0.5 points).
The judges of Team A, assessing the complexity of the presented program, give an overall assessment.
The judges of brigade B, who monitor the technique of execution, make assessments independently of each other: the best and worst of them are not taken into account, and the average score is derived from the remaining four. During team competitions and during the draw of the absolute championship, the scores received by the team or an individual athlete in various types of the program are summed up. Based on them, the final score is derived. The gymnast or the team with the highest number of points is declared the winner.
In the qualification competitions of the World Championships and the Olympic Games, the “6-5-4” scheme operates in the team competition. No more than 6 athletes compete for each team at the competition, 5 of them “work” on one or another projectile, while only the 4 best results are counted. In the final competitions, the “6-3-3” scheme is in effect. In team competitions, as well as in the drawing of the individual championship (absolute and in certain types of the program) The athlete is given only one attempt on each projectile. The exception is support jumps.
The competitors themselves determine the “content” of their exercises on a particular projectile, but their performance must meet the existing requirements regarding the type and complexity of the technical elements used. In each exercise, the beginning, the main part and the end (the jump) are highlighted.
Competition formula, determining the winner Major international competitions in artistic gymnastics consist of four stages:
Championship in individual events is played out by 8 athletes who showed the best results in certain exercises at the preliminary stage. At major competitions, six men’s or four women’s teams (depending on the number of apparatuses) usually perform on the platform at the same time. Having completed the performance in one type of program, the team moves on to the next.
Qualification (or preliminary) stage among individual gymnasts and teams, based on the results of which the composition of the finalists is determined;
Team final is held among the 8 strongest – based on the results of the “qualification” – teams (separately among men and women);
Absolute championship in the individual standings is played out among the 24 best athletes;
The Olympic Games, unlike the World Championships, can be attended by a limited number of participants. These are 12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams that showed the best results at the World Championship preceding the Olympics. The total number of participants in the Olympic gymnastics tournament in the individual competition is 98 (both men and women). In addition to athletes from the top 12 national teams, they include representatives of the countries that took places at the championship from 13th and below, as well as a number of athletes selected individually by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). According to the rules, no more than 2 representatives from one country can participate in the final competitions.
Some other rules
There are also some “procedural” restrictions in modern artistic gymnastics:
– during the competition, the participants do not have the right to leave the area without special permission.
– the transition from apparatus to apparatus is carried out in an organized manner;
– the participants of the competition are given 30 seconds to warm up (on the parallel bars – 50 seconds), after which they are called to perform the exercise;
– during the performance of the program, the coach does not have the right to talk to the gymnast;
The rules provide for punishments – for individual gymnasts and entire teams: for undisciplined behavior. Non-compliance with the form of clothing can also affect the results of a gymnast’s performance. The first remark entails a deduction of points – and up to withdrawal from the competition in the absolute standings. During the performance of exercises on projectiles, it is allowed to use special leather pads for the palms – in order to avoid damage.
Information provided by the NGO “BUG”
The classification program for gymnastics sports
The development of gymnastics in Belarus, as well as in Minsk, has good stable traditions that were laid down in Soviet times.
Belarusian gymnasts began participating in the Olympic Games in 1960 in Rome. Nikolay Miligulo became the first silver medalist in gymnastics.
And if we talk about all the outstanding results of gymnasts of that time, then they are countless:
in 1964, in Tokyo – Belarusian Elena Volchetskaya – brought a gold medal to the USSR team.
In 1968, in Mexico – Larisa Petrik won a gold medal.
In 1972, in Munich – Olga Korbut – won as many as 3 gold medals at the Olympics, Antonina Koshel won a gold medal at the same competition.
The Olympic gold medalists are Belarusians Tomara Lazokovich, Nelly Kim (3 gold medals in Montreal, 2 gold medals in Moscow), Svetlana Boginskaya (2 gold medals in Seoul), silver medalists Vladimir Shchukin and Nikolai Maleev.
To date, there are about 50 specialized children’s and youth sports schools of the Olympic Reserve, children’s sports schools in five types of gymnastics in the republic.
Gymnastics schools are available in all areas. More than 5,000 young gymnasts are engaged in schools.
Belarusian gymnasts and their coaches have achieved outstanding results in competitions of various ranks:
In 1992, in Barcelona – Vitaly Shcherbo won 6 gold medals, in 1996, Atlanta – Vitaly Shcherbo won 4 bronze medals. Ivan Ivankov became two-time absolute world champion in 1994 and 1997, two-time absolute European champion in 1994 and 1996. Elena Piskun – world champion in 1994 and 1996. The national team of the Republics of Belarus (Vitaly Shcherbo, Ivan Ivankov, Andrey Kan, Vitaly Rudnitsky, Alexander Shostak) are the champions of Europe in 1994. The national team of the Republic of Belarus (Ivan Ivankov, Alexey Senkevich, Dmitry Kasperovich, Alexander Kruzhalov, Denis Savenkov, Vitaly Volynchuk) – 2001 world champions.
Belarusian Gymnastics Association
Address: 220030 Minsk, Kirov str., 8-2
Tel./fax: +375 (17) 289-15-78
E-mail: info@bga.by
Website: http://www.bga.by/
Chairman – Karpovich Vladimir Sigismundovich
After the collapse of the USSR, the NGO “BUG” was officially recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the European Union of Gymnastics (UGE) in 1993 as the only organization with exclusive authority to manage the development of gymnastics, conduct national and international competitions on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, represent all types of gymnastics in subjects of international sports relations, to establish relations and contacts with the International Gymnastics Federation, the European Union of Gymnastics and national gymnastics federations in other countries, as well as other foreign, Belarusian and international associations.
Minsk city branch of the public organization “Belarusian Federation of Artistic Gymnastics”
Address: st. V. Khoruzhey, 13/61
Phone: 230-27-72
Chairman – Evseev Viktor Petrovich
Institutions that develop gymnastics in Minsk
Children’s and Youth Sports School (DYuSSh) for gymnastics sports of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus
Address: 220119 Minsk, Kalinovskogo st., 111
Tel./fax: +375 (17) 263-87-03
Director: Nikolai Alexandrovich Nedbalsky
Sports school “Rings of Glory” in gymnastics
Address: 220070 Minsk, Vaneeva st., 1
Tel. : +375 (17) 398-91-20, tel./fax +375 (17) 398-94-27
Director: Viktor Petrovich Evseev
Sports Acrobatics and Freestyle Sports School
Address: 220004 Minsk, Masherov Ave., 2
Tel.: +375 (17) 203-70-27
Director: Lyudmila Ivanovna Ivleva
Department of Gymnastics and Acrobatics of the Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Minsk City Executive Committee
Address: 220036 Minsk, Volokha st., 16
Tel.: +375 (17) 213-51-96
Director: Vasilevsky Alexander Gennadievich
Republican Olympic Training Center for Applied Sports (gymnastics, acrobatics)
Address: 220012 Minsk, Surganova st., 2
Tel. +375 (17) 231-37-69