| Men And Gymnastics |
|
Men compete on six gymnastics events. These events test their strength, power, flexibility and rhythm. The events are described in detail below.
Floor Exercises: The gymnast performs this exercise on a 12m by 12m spring floor. He executes a sequence of tumbling passes to show his flexibility and balance. The gymnast also displays press handstands, circles and scales. The entire routine usually comprises of four passes for duration of approximately 70 seconds. In this exercise, it is required of the gymnast to touch all corners of the floor at least once. Pommel Horse: A pommel horse event involves both single leg and double leg work. Single leg exercises are demonstrated in the form of scissors. In the double leg effort, the gymnast swings his legs together in a circular motion (either clockwise or counterclockwise as per his preference) and performs such actions on all parts of the apparatus. The routine of this event ends when the gymnast gets down the pommel horse, either by moving his entire body over the apparatus or by landing after a simple handstand. Still Rings: This event is indisputably the most physically strenuous event. It is performed on rings suspended on a wire cable above the floor, and adjusted in height so that the gymnast can easily hang freely and swing. The routine requires a minimum of one static strength move, though some gymnasts perform two or three. Vault: In this exercise, the gymnast runs down a strip, which is generally a 25m long padded surface, and hurdles onto a springboard and jumps on the vault with his hands (called the first flight). He then performs the actual exercises on the vault, which may involve leaps over the apparatus or several complex twists and turns in the air. The gymnast finally lands on the mat on the other side of the vault apparatus, and this move should be faultless to get a good score. Parallel Bars: A gymnast performs this exercise using two bars slightly wider than the shoulder's width and approximately 1.75m high. He executes a series of swings, balances and releases using the apparatus that require immense strength and coordination. High Bar: This event makes use of a 2.4cm thick steel bar that is raised 2.5m above the floor. The gymnast performs revolutions, twists, changes of direction and release moves on the bar. He generally makes use of leather grips to maintain a grip on the bar. The abovementioned events require a lot of practice and are judged for their degrees of difficulty, execution and overall presentation skills. Related Articles
|