The 4 Events in Women's Gymnastics
There are many different types of gymnastics, explained in my post titled "The Different Types of Gymnastics" but today I am just going to be focusing on women's gymnastics. Most of this blog is revolved around women's gymnastics because that is the sport I am familiar with. In this post, I am going to be talking all about the 4 different events in women's gymnastics: floor, vault, bars, and beam. Each event is unique in their own way and they all require different skill sets, flexibility, and strength. I will talk about each event in depth, including the components, scoring, and skills associated with each.
Floor Exercise:
The floor exercise is typically the most entertaining event, for both the gymnast and bystanders. The floor routines have music and dance choreography incorporated into it, allowing the gymnast to express their personalities through the type of music and dance they choose to include. Throughout their routine, gymnast must blend together dance elements and gymnastics tumbling elements to use the entire floor space with changes in direction and level of movement. Each element of the routine must flow freely into the next, going along with the rhythm of the music. Each choreographed floor routine must last no more than 90 seconds and this exercise requires great cardio abilities because those 90 seconds are full of many energy-draining skills.
All events in women's gymnastics are scored on a 10.0 based scale. There are a certain amount and type of skills that have to be in a floor routine and these skill requirements get harder as you get to a higher level. You can receive major point deduction for leaving a required skill out of your routine or for attempting a skill but failing to execute it properly.
Vault:
Vault is one of the most simple gymnastics events because the event only lasts a few seconds and consists of only one skill. As you progress through the levels of gymnastics, the difficulty and complexity of your vault will increase through more saltos (flips) and twists. Although the vault looks simple, it requires proper body alignment, strength, form, and quick repulsion. The gymnast must sprint down a long track, bounce on a springboard with lots of force, flip over a vault table, and then stick their landing. Each gymnast performs 2 vaults and the higher scoring vault is the one that is used for your final score. Deductions include bad form, not sticking your landings, not pointing your toes, etc.
Uneven Bars:
This exercise demands a substantial amount of upper-body strength, perfect timing, and an aggressive approach to the routine. There are two bars: a low bar and a high bars...hence the name "uneven bars." The gymnast must flow from one bar to the other with ease, connecting all her skills without pauses or additional swings. The end of the routine includes a "dismount" which consists of them letting go of the high bar and completing some type of flip before landing on the ground. When swinging on the bar, the gymnast must hit a perfect straight-line handstand on top of the bar. If it is even the slightest amount off of a straight line, they will receive deductions. Other deductions include bad landings, falling off the bar, and bent legs. The goal of this exercise is to switch from one bar to the other, spin around the bar, and dismount with a perfect landing.
Balance Beam:
The balance beam is a long piece of metal, just 4-inches wide. It is covered in leather and is typically raised 3-4 feet off the ground. In this exercise, gymnasts perform skills that are performed on the floor exercise, except now they have the risk of falling off this 4-inch wide beam. Gymnasts to flips and dance elements on the beam and dismount off the edge of them beam onto a mat. Routines must be under 90 seconds long and in that time, gymnasts much use the entire length of the beam. Even the slightest misstep, you can fall off the beam while doing a difficult skill and injure yourself. The balance beam requires great concentration, balance, and strength to stay on the beam. Deductions include falling off the beam, wobbling due to a loss of balance on the beam, and not hitting the full expectation of each skill. For example, if the gymnast is going to do a split leap (where they run, jump, and do the splits in the air) and their splits do not hit an angle of at least 180 degrees (a straight line), they will receive deductions for not completing the skill.
As you can now see, there are many different events in the sport of women's gymnastics. Each event requires different abilities, helping gymnasts become well-rounded in all aspects of fitness.
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