Paris: Don't you know that your jumps are different from the uneven bars?
AFP Sport takes a deep dive into the details of the artistic gymnastics competitions taking place at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Men compete on six different apparatuses: floor, hoops, vault, double bars and horizontal/high bars.
There are four categories for women: vault, uneven bars, beam and floor.
The competition at the Bercy Arena from Saturday to August 5 is divided into four rounds: Qualifying, Team Final, All-Around Final and Equipment Final.
In this weekend's qualifying rounds, gymnasts will compete as part of their national teams or as individuals, with results used to select gymnasts for the team, all-around and apparatus finals.
Each team's results will be based on the top three gymnasts with the highest scores in each apparatus.
The top 8 countries with the highest scores will earn tickets to the All-Device Team Finals.
The top 24 finalists (maximum 2 per country) will then compete for the title of all-around champion, which is considered the blue ribbon competition of gymnastics.
The final competition consists of the eight highest-scoring gymnasts on each apparatus (with a maximum of two from each country).
Same for both men and women – magic on a 12m x 12m mat, showing perfect rolling on the diagonal with music for women only.
The men's balance beam competition is equivalent to the women's balance beam competition, with an emphasis on core and shoulder strength, as only the hands are allowed to touch the foam- and leather-covered horse and two handles.
The gymnasts rely on their coaches to keep themselves just 5.75 meters above the ground during a moment of stillness, followed by a display of strength and control like an iron cross. The gymnasts stand still with their arms extended horizontally, their legs pointed down, and every tendon taut.
The ultimate test of a gymnast's ability, skill, strength and courage – you can miss 5-6 seconds of dramatic action in a blink. The men's vault is 10cm higher than the women's. Watch out for American superstar Simone Biles, who performed a spectacular Biles II Yurchenko double somersault during a practice session on Thursday.
A controlled movement that swings over and under the bar, positioned at about head level and shoulder-width apart, with a glue landing that is what the half-eyed judges will be looking for.
Or as it says on the tin: the high bar, which is terrifyingly high, standing about 2.78 meters off the ground. The single metal bar, as opposed to the parallel bars which are made of fiberglass coated with wood, is smaller in diameter than the parallel bars and causes fans to exclaim when gymnasts try to somersault over the bar, hoping to catch it later.
This apparatus is intended for female gymnasts only and consists of two bars of varying heights and widths so that gymnasts can swing from one bar to the other approximately the same distance. The high bar is 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) above the floor and the low bar is 1.7 metres (5.9 ft) above the floor. Watch out for Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour, who shows off some of the most complex uneven bars moves as she strives to become the first female African gymnast to win an Olympic medal.
The original idea came from the “grandfather of gymnastics” Johann Guts Mutt – a German professor of physical education in the early 19th century. Olga Korbut stunned fans at the Munich Olympics in 1972 by performing the first backflip. With a width of only 10 cm, it required great precision and endurance. The rectangular beam allowed female gymnasts to test their balance, turn, jump and perform amazing jumps, while trying not to fall to the ground.
Saturday, July 27, Men's Qualifying Round
Sunday 28 July Women's Qualifying Round
Monday, July 29 – Men's Team Final
Tuesday, July 30 – Women's Final
Wednesday, July 31 – Men's Singles Final
Thursday, August 1 – Women's Combined Final
Saturday, August 3 – Men’s Floor Exercise Final, Women’s Tumbler Final, Men’s Vault Final
Sunday, August 4 – Men’s Ring Final, Women’s Uneven Bar Final, Men’s Vault Final
Monday, August 5 – Men's Double Bar Final, Women's Balance Beam Final, Men's Horizontal Bar Final, Women's Floor Exercise Final
