Gymnastics in the Olympic Games: from ancient Greece to the present

The gym It is a sport that has been practiced for centuries. and that it has evolved over time in different disciplines and modalities.

Since its inclusion in the modern Olympic Games in 1896, gymnastics has gained popularity and prestige as a sport that combines physical skill and artistic creativity.

history of gymnastics

The history according to the official page of the Olympic Games begins in the time of Greek philosophy, when Plato, Aristotle and Homer defended the importance of physical exercise to achieve symmetry between the body and the mind. The Greeks believed that physical activity strengthened intellectual qualities and that both should be complementary.

In the Renaissance, the term “artistic gymnastics” was used to distinguish fluid styles of techniques used in military training. Gymnastics competitions began to become popular in schools and athletic clubs in Europe, and became an Olympic sport at the Games of Athens in 1896.

Gymnastics evolved rapidly during this time, and many disciplines that are not recognized today, such as stick swinging and rock lifting, were practiced back then. In the early years of artistic gymnastics at the Olympic Games, the participants used to have background in ballet and reached their maximum performance from the age of 20.

However, this changed with the emergence of younger and better-trained gymnasts, such as Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim, who scored perfect scores at the 1976 Montreal Games at just 14 years old. Currently, gymnasts must be at least 16 years old to be able to compete in the Olympic Games.

(Keep reading: Gymnastics for the whole family).

gymnastics at the olympics

artistic gymnastics It has been present in all editions of the Olympic Games since its inclusion in 1896although at first it was made up of disciplines that would not be considered “artistic” today, such as climbing and acrobatics, according to information on the Olympic Games website.

The Olympic gymnastics program was established at the Paris Games in 1924, with the inclusion of individual and team men’s apparatus competitions.

Women were included in the Amsterdam Games in 1928 and in 1952 the female programwhich numbered seven events at the time and was reduced to six starting with the 1960 Games in Rome.

The Soviet Union dominated gymnastics from 1952 onwards, after the creation of the Russian Gymnastics Federation in 1983. However, at the Beijing Games in 2008, it was China who won the most medals in the sport.

Gymnastics has been a key discipline at the Olympic Games and has constantly evolved over the years, from humble beginnings to an exciting and spectacular sport that continues to captivate millions of people around the world.

gymnastics modalities

This sports discipline covers a wide variety of movements and physical abilities that can be executed in different ways. Each mode focuses on specific skills and has its own rules and requirements.

The different modalities also allow the participation of athletes of different ages and skill levels. These are the four modalities that exist according to the ‘Bizkaia Gymnastics Federation’:

1. Rhythmic: It is a practice that integrates movements of ballet, gymnastics, dance and the use of different instruments such as the rope, hoop, ball, clubs and tape. Competitions and exhibitions are held in which gymnastics is accompanied by music to maintain a rhythm in its execution. This discipline is divided into two modalities: individual and group.

2. Aerobic: Also known as sports aerobics, it is a branch of gymnastics that involves the execution of a sequence of complex and high-intensity movements, synchronized with music and derived from conventional aerobics.

3. Female Artistic: There are four main events including uneven bars, balance beam, floor, and vault.

4. Male Artistic: There are six main events, including high bar, parallel bars, rings, floor, vault, and pommel horse.

5. Trampoline: It is a modality that involves carrying out a series of acrobatic movements in elastic apparatus. It’s divided in tumbling, double mini-tramp and trampoline, the latter being an Olympic discipline since the 2000 Sydney Games.

(You may be interested in: Gymnastics for beginners: key exercises to start with this sport).

gymnastics in Colombia

According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Creation and Sport, gymnastics arrived in Colombia in 1940 thanks to the Italian priest Father Mosser, who brought knowledge from Sweden and Germany to the Salesian León XIII College in Bogotá. Since 1975, Colombia has participated in the Olympic cycle.

Jorge Hugo Giraldo, former gymnast, coach and sports leader.

Photo:

Antioquia Gymnastics League

There are prominent Colombians in this sport such as Jorge Hugo Giraldo, the first to qualify for this important sports competition, Jossimar Calvo, the first Colombian athlete to achieve three gold medals and angel hernandezwinner of two gold medals at the Bolivarian Games and Par-American champion for two consecutive years.

SOPHIA SALAMANCA GOMEZ
DIGITAL SCOPE WRITING
TIME