More Gymnastics News

Simone Biles’ BFF Jordan Chiles Predicted Tokyo Debacle 4 Weeks Before It Actually Happened: “Didn’t Look Okay”

Simone Biles' best friend Jordan Chiles knew the signals before her Tokyo nightmare. She'd picked up the signs, and they were concerning!
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Jonathan Owens’ Heartfelt Words for Simone Biles’ Latest Achievement Cannot Be Missed

Jonathan Owens shares earnest words celebrating Simone Biles' newest achievement, showcasing their unwavering support and bond.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens

Who Is Konnor McClain’s Father Marc McClain? What Happened to Him During the 2021 Pandemic?

This setback put Konnor McClain's Olympic aspirations on hold yet again, but as always, she’s determined to keep fighting.
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Simone Biles’ Latest News Has Skiing Legend in Awe Alongside Fans

Simone Biles’ recent recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year has captivated fans and athletes alike!
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Simone Biles and Sha’Carri Richardson Rang Comeback Horns in 2024 as Legends Show True Worth

Not just the Paris Olympics specifically, but in all, the year 2024 has been a surprising season with notable comebacks showcased by athletes.

Shrugging Off Absurd Pattern, LSU Coach Jay Clark Hopeful About Gymnasts’ Performance

Despite the absurd pattern seen at the recent gymnastics preview, coach Jay Clark remains hopeful about the future and makes his comment on...
Jay Clark

Olivia Dunne’s Fans Make Alarming Paul Skenes Request Before MLB Season Starts

Olivia Dunne fans speculate a breakup with MLB star Paul Skenes after a cryptic TikTok post sparks emotional reactions.
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Simone Biles Admits Fighting With Jonathan Owens as Past Habits Die Hard

Admitting past self, Simone Biles shares a candid detail about her relationship with her husband, Jonathan Owens.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles Hints at Retirement Amid Pending Marital Commitments With Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles is contemplating retirement to focus on Jonathan Owens, instead of returning for the 2028 LA Olympics.
MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago White Sox

Olivia Dunne Hit With Major Blow in NIL Rankings Amidst LSU Concerns

Olivia Dunne faces a significant drop in NIL rankings as LSU raises concerns, sparking questions about her endorsement future.
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Simone Biles’ Mother Clears Air About Feelings Surrounding Gymnastics Return: “Move On”

Simone Biles’ return to gymnastics after a break was a major talking point not just for fans and the media, but for her family as well
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“She Almost Died”: Simone Biles’ Sister Makes Scary Confession About Her Gymnastics Career

Years after twisties problem, Simone Biles' sister opens up on the gymnast's scariest times in the realm of gymnastics.
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About Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a collection of physical exercises requiring a lot of strength, agility, balance, and flexibility. It is closely related to circus performing skills as athletes put their bodies to the fullest use. Likewise, there are various disciplines for gymnasts to showcase their talents. Thus, it evolved from ancient Greeks that included skills to mounting to dismounting a horse. The competitive form of gymnastics is called artistic gymnastics. It involves various events for women like the floor, vault, uneven bars, and the beam. For men, they have floor, vault, rings, pommel horse, parallel bars, and horizontal bars. Therefore, the sport is famous for its aesthetic values and the Olympics draws major crowds to the gymnastics arena.

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History of Gymnastics

Gymnastics originated from the Greek term, 'to exercise naked,' applied in ancient Greece exercises. These exercises became a mainstay at the Olympics but most of the competition came from ancient roots. There are stone engravings found in Shandong province during the Han Period (206 BCE–220 CE) where they portrayed acrobatics. Like every sport, the person credited for making the sport famous was Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, founder of the Turnverein movement as he helped to spread gymnastics across the world.

Most of the exercises were conducted on the playground. Therefore, various events came into existence. They held the first Gymnastics festival in 1860 in Coburg. The Americans were introduced to Gymnastics in the late 1820s while the Federation Internationale Gymnastique was founded in 1881 to organize the event. The 1896 Olympic Games saw the starting stages of gymnastics being introduced to the world. 

The Sport

There are three divisions of artistic gymnastics- artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline. There are six events for men and the all around event where they combine scores from every discipline. For women, there are four exercises and a similar all around event, both team and individual events. Apart from artistic gymnastics, there is rhythmic gymnastics and is practiced only by women. Trampoline is the other discipline of gymnastics and introduced itself at the 2000 Olympic Games. As years pass by, various gymnasts showcased their athletic skills to the masses in attendance.

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Famous gymnasts in the world

Simone Biles:

In terms of pure dominance, Simone Biles enters the list as arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. She is the most decorated gymnast in the World Championships, winning four gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. The 2016 Rio Olympics saw her winning four gold medals and completely dominated the events. She has 25 World Championships medals to her name and her stance on mental health helps her become an influential person in the society.

Larisa Latynina:

Winning nine gold medals at the Olympics is astonishing and Larisa Latynina ranks on top of the famous gymnast charts. After Michael Phelps, she has the most Olympic medals with 18. She popularized the sport of gymnastics and was the first star in the sport. Her iconic performances will go down to the gymnastics folklore.

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Nadia Comaneci:

Achieving a perfect 10.0 score in gymnastics is amazing. But, doing it at the Olympics, when just turning 14, placed Nadia Comaneci amongst the pantheon of greats. The 1976 Olympics saw her earning seven perfect scores. She won five Olympic gold medals out of the nine she won.

Svetlana Khorkina:

With a total of 47 Olympic, World and European Championships medals, Svetlana Khorkina is a remarkable gymnast. She became the first gymnast to win three all-around titles at the World Championships while winning five gold medals in the uneven bars at World Championships. Her success in the uneven bars earned her the moniker 'The Queen of Bars.'