PARIS: Didn't you know your pear horse from the uneven bars?
AFP Sport looks at the intricacies of the artistic gymnastics competition that comes to life at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Men compete on six events: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and bars.
There are four for women: vault, uneven bars, beam and floor.
The competition at the Bercy Arena from Saturday to August 5 is divided into four stages: qualification, team final, all-around final and apparatus final.
In this weekend's qualifiers, gymnasts compete as part of their country's team or as individuals, with results used to qualify gymnasts for the team, all-around and apparatus finals.
Team results are based on the three highest scoring gymnasts on each apparatus.
The eight countries with the highest scores secured tickets to the team finals, held above all apparatus.
The top 24 qualifiers (a maximum of two from each country) compete for the all-around title, which is again held on all apparatus and is considered a blue-ribbon gymnastics event.
The apparatus final consists of the eight highest-ranked gymnasts on each apparatus (again with a maximum of two per country).
Identical for men and women – magic on a 12 x 12m mat, performing inch-perfect falls across the diagonal to music for women only.
The men's equivalent of the women's balance beam – emphasizes core and shoulder strength as only the hands are allowed to touch the foam and leather horse and two handles.
At “only” 5.75m above the ground, the gymnasts need a helping hand from their coaches to press on. A moment of silence is followed by a show of strength and control like an iron cross: this is when the gymnast holds herself still, arms extended horizontally, legs pointing down, all tendons tense.
The ultimate test of gymnastic artistry, skill, athleticism and bravery – blink and you'll miss five or six seconds of high drama. The men's vaulting table is 10 cm higher than the women's. Watch out for American superstar Simone Biles, who scored her spectacular signature Biles II Jurchenko double pike in practice on Thursday.
Controlled movements above and below the bars placed at about head height and shoulder width apart – landing like glue is what the beady-eyed judges will be looking for.
Or the high bar is what it says on the tin – terrifyingly high, around 2.78m above the ground. The lone metal bar—unlike the uneven bars and parallel bars are made of wood-coated fiberglass—is smaller in diameter than the parallel bars and triggers gasps from fans as the gymnast somersaults over the bar—hopefully caught later.
Designed for female gymnasts only, this device features two bars of different heights and widths to allow the gymnast to seemingly swing from bar to bar. The high bar is 2.5 m (8.2 ft) off the ground, the low bar is 1.7 m. Watch out for Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour, who boasts the most complex uneven bars routines as she bids to become the first Olympic medalist in gymnastics on the African continent.
The original concept comes from the “grandfather of gymnastics” – Johann Guts Muth – a German professor of physical education from the beginning of the 19th century. Olga Korbut stunned fans at the 1972 Munich Olympics with the first ever back somersault. With a width of only 10 cm, it requires maximum precision and nerves of steel. The rectangular beam provides gymnasts with a masterful test of balance, tumbles, jumps and leaps while trying not to hit the board.
Saturday, July 27 — Men's Qualifying
Sunday, July 28 — Women's Qualifying
Monday, July 29 — Men's Team Final
Tuesday, July 30 — Women's Team Final
Wednesday, July 31 — Men's All-Around Final
Thursday, August 1 — Women's All-Around Final
Saturday, August 3 – Men's Floor Exercise Finals; women's vault final; Men's Equestrian Final
Sunday 4th August – Men's Circles Final; Women, Women's Final; Men's vault final
Monday 5th August – Men's parallel bars final; women's balance beam final; Men's Bar Final; Women's floor exercise final
