| Equipment Article |
To the Ancient Greeks, physical fitness was paramount, and all Greek cities had a gymnasia, a courtyard for jumping, running, and wrestling. As the Roman Empire ascended, Greek gymnastics gave way to military training. The Romans, for example, introduced the wooden horse. In 393 AD the Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympic Games, which by then had become corrupt, and gymnastics, along with other sports declined. Later, Christianity, with its medieval belief in the base nature of the human body, had a deleterious effect on gymnastics. For centuries, gymnastics was all but forgotten.[1]
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, however, two pioneer physical educators . Johann Friedrich GutsMuth (1759 . 1839) and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778 . 1852) - created exercises for boys and young men on apparatus they designed that ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics. In particular, Jahn crafted early models of the horizontal bar, the parallel bars (from a horizontal ladder with the rungs removed), and the vaulting horse.[1]
By the end of the nineteenth century, men's gymnastics competition was popular enough to be included in the first "modern" Olympic Games in 1896. However, from then, and up until the early 1950s, both national and international competitions involved a changing variety of exercises gathered under the rubric gymnastics that would seem strange to today's audiences: synchronized team floor calisthenics, rope climbing, high jumping, running, horizontal ladder, etc. During the 1920s, women organized and participated in gymnastics events, and the first women's Olympic competition . primitive, for it involved only synchronized calisthenics - was held at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.
By the 1954 Olympic Games apparatus and events for both men and women had been standardized in modern format, and uniform grading structures (including a point system from 1 to 10) had been agreed upon. At this time, Soviet gymnasts astounded the world with highly disciplined and difficult performances, setting a precedent that continues to inspire. The new medium of television helped publicize and initiate a modern age of gymnastics. Both men's and women's gymnastics now attract considerable international interest, and excellent gymnasts can be found on every continent.
Nadia Comaneci received the first perfect score, at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada. She was coached by the famous Romanian, Bela Karolyi. According to Sports Illustrated, Comaneci scored four of her perfect tens on the uneven bars, two on the balance beam and one in the floor exercise. Unfortunately, even with Nadia's perfect scores, the Romanians lost the gold medal to the Soviets. Nadia will always be remembered as "a fourteen year old, ponytailed little girl" who showed the world that perfection could be achieved.
In 2006, a new points system was put into play. Instead of being marked 1 to 10, the gymnast's start value depends on the difficulty rating of the exercise routine. Also, the deductions became higher: before the new point system developed, the deduction for a fall was 0.5, and now it is 0.8. The motivation for a new point system was to decrease the chance of gymnasts getting a perfect score.
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 | Mini Bar Gymnastics Exercise and Training Aid
$290.00 |
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|  | GYMNASTICS TRAINING DOWNHILL INCLINE MAT, 4'X6'X16" FD
$268.00 |
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 | Gymnastics Junior Training Bar
$195.00 |
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|  | Gymnastics Pommel Vault Horse w/cart
$300.00 |
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 | Red Tiffen Gymnastics Cartwheel Mat
$24.99 |
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|  | Folding Floor Balance Beam Suede Excellent Condition
$31.00 |
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 | NEW TEN.0 10.0 WOMANS GRIPS SIZE 1 DOWEL G910
$26.99 |
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|  | Alpha Factor Snake Skin Grip Bag for Gymnastics Leotard
$9.99 |
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 | American Athletic Foam Balance Beam AAI Gymnastic Suede
$110.00 |
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|  | GYMNASTICS TUMBLING MAT, 4X8X2" BRIGHT PASTEL RAINBOW
$178.00 |
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 | Blue Gymnastics Cartwheel Beam Mat
$60.00 |
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|  | GET HIGHER GYMNASTICS SCORES LEVEL 3-4-5-6
$5.99 |
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 | Baby Blue PreSchool Vaulting Board
$25.00 |
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|  | ACTIVE WRAP HEAT COLD COMPRESSION ICE PACK SHOULDER S/M
$69.95 |
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 | GRIPS FOR GYMNSATICS/SMALL
$0.99 |
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|  | Reisport Grips - Velcro Straps
$42.00 |
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 | AAI Nastia Liukin 4x8 Pink/White Folding Gymnastic Mat
$165.00 |
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|  | AAI Foam Bonded Cheerleading Gymnastic Carpet MAT 4'x6'
$95.00 |
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 | REISPORT Swiss Cup 0 Hand GRIPS Velcro straps NEW!
$8.99 |
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|  | AAI Octagon foam shapes Cheerleading Gymnastics 20x28
$200.00 |
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 | Olympic Gymnastics Rings One
$900.00 |
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|  | New 8 ft Suede Purple Balance Beam and Pink Folding Mat
$224.98 |
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 | GYMNASTICS JUNIOR TRAINING BAR FOR GYM AND HOME USE
$282.00 |
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|  | USAG gymnastics DVD girls JO routines level 1-6
$0.99 |
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 | 2 GK Elite Leos Adult Small - AS - soft velour
$0.99 |
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|  | Gymnastics Mom Circle Magnet - gymnastics
$1.99 |
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 | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER, LIKE A GIRL BARS
$6.99 |
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|  | 16 ft Suede Tan Gymnastics Balance Beam
$150.00 |
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 | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER GYMNASTS EASY CALLED FOOTBALL
$6.49 |
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|  | AAI Nastia Liukin 4x8 Pink/White Folding Gymnastic Mat
$165.00 |
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 | Nastia Liukin Cartwheel Beam Gym Gymnastics Mat AAI New
$48.00 |
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|  | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER GYMNASTS RISK
$6.49 |
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5 GYMNASTICS FLOOR MUSIC ROUTINES ~READY TO USE~
$4.99 |
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|  | ~Pink Polka Dot ~ 8 ft Suede Gymnastics Balance Beam
$114.99 |
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 | Gymnastic Balance Beam
$25.00 |
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|  | US Glove Tiger Paws Gymnastics Wrist Support (Sand)
$39.30 |
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 | Gymnastics Parallel Bars AAI
$0.99 |
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|  | gymanstics sectional balance beam set of 2!!
$150.00 |
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 | GYMNASTICS TRAINING BAR Junior Horizontal Practice Bars
$192.00 |
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|  | Gymnastics Pommel Vault Horse
$200.00 |
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 | Gymnastics - Uneven Bars Balance Beam Mats Spring Floor
$2900.00 |
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|  | New Gymnastics Routine DVD Levels 5-6 - *buySAFE*
$29.95 |
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 | CHEERLEADING FLEXI-ROLL TUMBLING MAT 4X6X1 3/8
$105.00 |
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|  | 3' x 6' gymnastics folding incline mat
$280.00 |
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 | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER, LIKE A GIRL BEAM
$6.99 |
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|  | 10'X15' Rectangle *ULTRA* Trampoline w/Safety Enclosure
$1199.99 |
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 | Nastia Liukin Foam Balance Beam AAI Gymnastic Pink
$110.00 |
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|  | Reisport Grips - Double Buckle Straps
$39.00 |
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 | Personalized GYMNASTICS Bag Tag,Luggage,Backpack U-PICK
$4.50 |
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|  | GYMNASTICS JUNIOR TRAINING BAR FOR GYM AND HOME USE
$270.00 |
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 | AAI Hand Chalk 1lb Gymnastics Chalk American Athletic
$9.99 |
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|  | AAI Foam Bonded Cheerleading Gymnastic Carpet MAT 4'x6'
$95.00 |
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 | -18" HIGH- New 8 ft Suede Tan Gymnastics Balance Beam
$269.99 |
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|  | PERSONALIZED workout gym yogo bag handbag fitness
$20.99 |
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 | Personalized Gymnastics Gymnast Dance Duffle Bag
$22.99 |
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|  | GET HIGHER GYMNASTICS SCORES LEVEL 3-4-5-6
$5.99 |
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 | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER GYMNASTS IT'S A GIRLS THING
$6.99 |
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|  | Foam Gymnastics Tumbling Floor Kit
$299.00 |
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 | Purple 8 ft Low Profile Suede Balance Beam
$114.99 |
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|  | Foam Rubber 4" squares/cubes used for Gymnastic pits
$29.99 |
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 | ACTIVE WRAP HEAT COLD COMPRESSION ICE PACK SHOULDER S/M
$69.95 |
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|  | 2x4 Folding Incline Mat
$165.00 |
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 | AAI Junior Bug / Spring Board Vaulting Gymnastics Jr.
$210.00 |
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|  | 2" Thick 4'x12' Bonded Foam Gymnastics Gym Tumbling Mat
$199.99 |
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 | Octagon Tumbling Training Gymnastics Gym Mat New 15x24
$139.99 |
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| 5 GYMNASTICS FLOOR MUSIC ROUTINES ~READY TO USE~CD#2
$4.99 |
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 | Gymnastics Bailie Velcro Dowel Grips Size 3 Ladies
$5.99 |
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|  | AAI Blockbuster 96” x 24” x 4” Gymnastic Folding Mat
$255.00 |
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 | Brand new gymnastics grips
$23.00 |
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|  | NEW Gymnastics Routine DVD Levels 1-4 - *buySAFE*
$20.95 |
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 | Gymnastics Junior Training Bar
$222.50 |
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|  | Women's Ten.O Uneven Bar Grips, Size 2, NEW!
$19.99 |
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 | -18" HIGH- New 8 ft Suede Tan Gymnastics Balance Beam
$269.99 |
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|  | 4x8x4 Tumbling or Adjustable Junior Training Bar Mat
$199.00 |
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 | Lagurro Gymnastics Paws Wrist Safeguard
$35.00 |
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|  | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER GYMNASTS HAVE MORE FUN
$6.99 |
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 | Personalized GYMNASTICS Bag Tag,Luggage,Backpack U-PICK
$4.50 |
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|  | Nastia Liukin Cartwheel Beam Gym Gymnastics Mat AAI New
$48.00 |
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 | Gymnastics Folding Low Balance Beam
$39.99 |
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|  | Gymnastics large picture frame - gymnast 5 x 7 photo
$2.99 |
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 | Nastia Liukin Cartwheel Beam Gym Gymnastics Mat AAI New
$48.00 |
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|  | GYMNASTICS Book DEDUCTIONS Levels 7-10 IMPROVE UR SCORE
$19.99 |
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 | AAI Foam Bonded Carpet Roll Cheer Gymnastic Mat 6'x42'
$740.00 |
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|  | 18" High * 12ft. Tan Suede Gymnastics Balance Beam
$199.00 |
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 | New Suede 8 ft Tan FOLDING Balance Beam
$99.99 |
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|  | Parallettes (Gymnastics Press Bars)
$30.00 |
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 | AAI Junior Training Bar Gymnastics Horizontal Bar Jr.
$510.00 |
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|  | Nissen Gymnastics Uneven Bars
$200.00 |
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 | Resilite Folding Gymnastics Mat
$99.00 |
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|  | GYMNASTICS Book DEDUCTIONS Levels 1-6 IMPROVE UR SCORE
$19.99 |
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 | Nastia Liukin Foam Balance Beam AAI Gymnastic Pink
$110.00 |
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|  | AAI Gymnastics Exercise Folding Gym Mat
$20.25 |
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 | NEW GYMNASTICS POSTER GYMNASTS FOCUS
$6.49 |
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|  | Octagon Donut
$49.99 |
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 | Leather Tiger Paws Wrist Support New !
$26.00 |
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|  | AAI Hand Chalk 1lb Gymnastics Chalk American Athletic
$9.99 |
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 | gymanstics sectional balance beam
$75.00 |
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|  | New LaGurro Gymnastics Grips With Free Grip Bag
$7.95 |
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