Olympic Gymnastics

Olympic gymnastics have been a part of the Olympic Summer Games since the first games took place, in Athens, in 1896. In these early games, only men took part. There were no female Olympic gymnastic teams until 1928. By 1932, male athletes performing in individual gymnastic events could now take part in the floor exercise. This was also the same year Japanese gymnasts appeared for the first time.

Over the years, Olympics gymnastics introduced the world to various exciting moves and innovations. In 1934, Gaki Meszaros of Hungary performed the splits on the balance beam while, in 1936, as part of his routine on the rings, Alios Hudec of Czechoslovakia, performed and inverted crucifix. In 1975, American Kurt Thomas introduced the Thomas Flair and Sergei Diamidov the Diamidov. Other athletes, too, have created Olympian gymnastic moves now bearing their names.

In 1936, American women competed for the first time. Gymnastics in the Olympics moved indoors for its first time in 1948. Women began to compete as individuals while still members of their Olympic gymnastic teams four years later in 1952. It was a woman, Olga Korbut, who stunned the audiences following the Olympics gymnastics television schedule in 1972 with the first backflip on a balance beam. Later, television audiences would thrill to Nadia Comaneci’s sensational scores at the 1976 Olympics.

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Americans in 1976 were also thrilled that Peter Korman took home the gold medal for his floor exercise. The United States team had not won an Olympic medal for 44 years. The United States followed this up with two more gold medals in 1978 as Marcia Frederick and Kurt Thomas took home the gold. The 1996Olympic gymnastic team winning gold as a team was the women’s gymnastic team dubbed “the Magnificent Seven.” They were truly Olympic gymnastics gold medal holders. It was America’s best standing in gymnastics for those games. In 2004, the Olympic gymnastics team at Athens faring the best was, again, not American. The Americans collected a gold medal for best all-round male gymnast and best all-round female gymnast but the rest of the medals were gold and bronze.

After 1969, Olympic gymnastics and the trampoline parted ways. Gymnastics, the Olympics and the trampoline and tumbling separated. Even the modern Olympic gymnastics trampoline is considered dangerous, although recently, England does well in the event. It might make a comeback for the 2008 Olympics.

Where do you see the best of gymnastic – the Olympic Games. Check the 2008 Olympic gymnastics schedule for all events leading up to and including the games, themselves.