The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) governs eight diverse gymnastics disciplines, each showcasing unique skills and artistry. From the popular artistic gymnastics to the emerging parkour, these disciplines combine strength, flexibility, and precision. This article explores the key features of artistic, acrobatic, trampoline, tumbling, rhythmic, parkour, and aerobic gymnastics, highlighting their distinct characteristics and competitive formats.
Artistic
The most recognizable discipline of gymnastics, artistic gymnastics is a highly celebrated Olympic sport characterized by athletes performing routines on various apparatus, showcasing their strength, flexibility, balance, and artistic expression.
In women’s artistic gymnastics, competitors engage in four main events which each demand a different combination of coordination and grace:
- vault
- uneven bars
- balance beam
- floor exercise
Men’s artistic gymnastics includes six events, which demand power and strength in addition to skill and precision:
- floor exercise
- pommel horse
- rings
- vault
- parallel bars
- horizontal bar.
Scoring in artistic gymnastics is based on two components: the Difficulty Score (D-Score), which reflects the complexity of the routine, and the Execution Score (E-Score), which assesses the gymnast’s performance quality. This discipline has evolved significantly since its introduction in the modern Olympic Games in 1896 and remains one of the most popular and captivating sports worldwide.
Acrobatic
Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive discipline within gymnastics where gymnasts perform routines that combine acrobatic skills, dance, and tumbling, typically in pairs or groups. This sport emphasizes teamwork, as athletes work together to execute complex skills, including lifts, balances, and dynamic throws, often set to music.
There are three main types of routines:
- balance routines– consisting of static holds that emphasize flexibility, strength, and stability
- dynamic routines– featuring aerial elements like somersaults and twists
- combined routines– which incorporate elements from both balance and dynamic categories.
Judging is based on artistic expression, execution quality, and the difficulty of the moves performed, with points awarded on a scale of 10. Acrobatic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and is showcased in events like the World Championships and the World Games
Trampoline
Trampoline gymnastics, also known as trampolining, is a dynamic and acrobatic sport where athletes perform routines on a trampoline, executing a series of twists and somersaults while bouncing to impressive heights, often exceeding 26 feet. This discipline includes various events such as individual trampoline, synchronized trampoline, double mini-trampoline, and tumbling track, each requiring precise coordination and athletic skill. Routines typically consist of ten elements that must be performed with a focus on difficulty, execution quality, and time spent in the air. Trampoline gymnastics gained recognition as an official sport in the late 1990s and made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, captivating audiences with its combination of athleticism and artistry.
What About Double Mini-Trampoline?
Double mini-trampoline is a subdiscipline where gymnasts perform two connected skills on a smaller trampoline with a sloped end. Athletes run up to the apparatus, jump onto the sloped end, then the flat end, and dismount to a mat performing acrobatics in the air after each bounce on the double mini.
While trampoline gymnastics is an Olympic sport, double mini-trampoline is not. Despite its absence from the Olympics, double mini remains popular in other international competitions.
Tumbling
Technically a subdiscipline of trampoline, tumbling, also known as power tumbling, focuses solely on a series of acrobatic skills performed on a specialized spring track. The tumbling track, measuring 25 meters in length, provides gymnasts with the perfect surface to generate incredible momentum and height.
As athletes sprint down this runway, they harness their speed and power to execute a breathtaking sequence of flips, twists, and somersaults. The goal is to perform eight high-level skills in rapid succession, culminating in a spectacular dismount. What sets tumbling apart is its emphasis on continuous, fluid motion.
Gymnasts must maintain their momentum throughout the entire pass, seamlessly connecting one skill to the next. This requires not only physical strength and flexibility but also split-second timing and spatial awareness.
Common tumbling elements include:
- Back handsprings
- Whip backs (a fast, low back flip)
- Layout somersaults (a straight-body flip)
- Twisting somersaults
- Double and triple flips
The sport demands a unique blend of power and finesse. While the explosive takeoffs and high-flying acrobatics are awe-inspiring, judges also evaluate the precision of each landing and the overall control demonstrated throughout the routine.
Rhythmic
Rhythmic gymnastics is a captivating sport that combines elements of dance, gymnastics, and acrobatics, performed individually or in groups. Athletes create choreographed routines that emphasize strength, flexibility, coordination, and artistic expression using various props, including the hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon, and rope.
This discipline requires gymnasts to execute a series of movements such as leaps, balances, and spins while performing with their apparatus. Rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic sport in 1984, with individual and group events featuring routines that last between 75 to 90 seconds for individuals and 2 minutes 15 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds for groups.
Judging is based on three main criteria: difficulty of the routine, execution quality, and artistic impression.
Parkour
Parkour gymnastics is an emerging discipline that combines the principles of parkour with the structured elements of gymnastics. It emphasizes efficient movement through obstacles while incorporating acrobatic skills and techniques commonly found in gymnastics.
Practitioners, known as traceurs, perform dynamic movements such as flips, vaults, and rolls, often in urban environments or specialized gym settings equipped with safety features like mats and trampolines. This hybrid approach allows for creativity and self-expression while maintaining a focus on physical fitness, agility, and coordination.
Parkour gymnastics encourages individuals to navigate their surroundings innovatively, blending the artistic aspects of gymnastics with the fluidity and adaptability inherent in parkour.
Aerobic
Aerobic gymnastics, also known as sport aerobics, is a competitive discipline that involves performing high-intensity routines to music, emphasizing dynamic strength, flexibility, and coordination.
Originating from traditional aerobic exercises, this sport requires athletes to execute continuous and complex movement patterns that incorporate seven basic steps—march, jog, skip, knee lift, kick, jack, and lunge—alongside various gymnastic elements. Routines typically last up to 90 seconds and can be performed individually or in teams, including mixed pairs and groups. Judging criteria focus on artistic quality, creativity, execution accuracy, and the difficulty of the movements performed.
Aerobic gymnastics has gained recognition as a formal discipline under the International Gymnastics Federation since the mid-1990s and continues to evolve as a popular sport worldwide.
Common Questions
Are all these gymnastics disciplines part of the Olympic Games?
Trampoline, rhythmic, and both men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics are currently part of the Olympics.
Hopefully, the IOC includes more disciplines like acrobatic, parkour, or double-mini in future games.
What are the main differences between artistic gymnastics for men and women?
From an objective standpoint, the main difference between men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics is that they consist of different events.
From a subjective standpoint, women’s gymnastics places a somewhat greater emphasis artistry and grace while men’s gymnastics encourages power and strength. However, each of those attributes is present and rewarded in both sports to some degree.