PARIS: Do you not distinguish between your horse and your bars?
AFP Sport takes a look at the ins and outs of the rhythmic gymnastics competitions that begin at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The men compete in six events: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, bars and parallel bars.
Women have four: vault, parallel bars, parallel bars and floor.
The competition at Bercy Arena from Saturday to August 5 is divided into four stages: qualification, team final, all-around final and event final.
In this weekend's qualifiers, gymnasts compete as part of their country's team or individually, the results of which are used to select gymnasts for the team finals, all-around and event finals.
Team scores are based on the three gymnasts scoring the highest on each apparatus.
The eight countries with the most points secure tickets to the team finals, which are held on all devices.
The top 24 qualifiers (a maximum of two per country) compete for the all-around title, which is again held on all shots and is considered a blue-ribbon gymnastics event.
The shot put finals consist of the eight gymnasts with the highest score on each apparatus (again, a maximum of two per country).
Identical for both men and women, magic on the 12 x 12 meter mat by performing perfect diagonal somersaults to women-only music.
The male equivalent of the women's beam, the emphasis is on core and shoulder strength as only the hands are allowed to touch the foam and leather clad horse and two handles.
Gymnasts who are 5.75 meters off the ground need the help of their coaches to hold them down. A moment of immobility is accompanied by a display of strength and control, like an iron cross: this is when the gymnast holds herself still, with her arms extended horizontally, her legs down and every tendon tensed.
The ultimate test of a gymnast's artistry, ability, athleticism and courage – blink and you'll miss five or six seconds of intense drama. The men's diving table is 10 cm higher than the women's. Watch for American superstar Simona Biles as she performs her impressive signature Biles II Yurchenko jump in practice on Thursday.
Controlled movements, swinging over and under bars placed about head height and shoulder width apart—a glue-like landing—is what the bead judges expect.
Or a high bar is what it says on the tin – a freaking high about 2.78m off the ground. The single metal bar—the uneven and parallel bars, in contrast, is made of fiberglass with a wood finish—has a smaller diameter than the parallel bars, and causes fans to gasp as the gymnast rises to somersault over the bar—hopefully to catch it afterward.
This projectile is designed for gymnasts only and consists of two bars of different heights and widths that allow the gymnast to seem to swing from bar to bar. The high bar is 2.5 m (8.2 ft) off the ground, the low bar is 1.7 m. Watch out for Algerian teenager Kylia Nemours, who boasts the most challenging beam routine as she aims to become the African continent's first Olympic medalist in gymnastics.
The original concept came from the “grandfather of gymnastics” – Johann Guts Muth – a German professor of physical education in the early 19th century. Olga Korbut stunned fans at the 1972 Munich Olympics with the first ever backflip. With a width of only 10 cm, it requires high precision and nerves of steel. The rectangular beam gives female gymnasts the ultimate test of balance, somersaults, jumps and leaps, all while trying not to hit the deck.
July 27, Saturday — men's qualification
July 28, Sunday — Women's qualification
July 29, Monday — men's team final
July 30, Tuesday — Women's team final
July 31, Wednesday — Men's all-around final
Thursday, August 1 — Women's all-around final
Saturday, August 3 — men's free exercise final; Women's Pole Vault Final; Final on horseback among men
Sunday, August 4 — men's rings final; Women's parallel bars final; Men's jump final
August 5, Monday — men's parallel bars final; Women's uneven bars final; Men's horizontal bar final; Women's free exercise final
