Venue: North Greenwich Arena
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 14
Athletes: 196 (98 men, 98 women)
The grace, strength and skill of Olympic gymnasts have been astonishing audiences since the Games in Ancient Greece, where Gymnastics was regarded as the perfect symmetry between mind and body. The best known of the three Gymnastics disciplines, Artistic Gymnastics is always among the most popular competitions at the Games.
Along with events to find the best teams and the best all-around performers, gymnasts will be battling for gold on individual apparatus. Men compete on the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, while women compete on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor.
Scores are given by a panel of judges, taking into account the degree of difficulty and the quality of the execution. Strength, flexibility and balance are keys to success in this breathtaking and hugely competitive sport.
The term ‘Artistic Gymnastics’ was first used in the 19th century. Between its appearance at the Athens 1896 Games and the 1920s, the event evolved into what we recognise as modern Gymnastics. The men’s individual apparatus and team competitions first appeared at the Paris 1924 Games; a women’s team event was introduced in 1928, with women’s individual apparatus competitions added in 1952.
At London 2012, the Artistic Gymnastics competition will be held at the state-of-the-art North Greenwich Arena on the River Thames, which will also host the Trampoline Gymnastics competition and the closing stages of the Basketball tournament.See the London 2012 Olympic Games competition schedule
You may be able to join a club or class at your local leisure centre. Visit British Gymnastics,Active Places and the International Gymnastics Federation for more on the sport.
Originally built for the Millennium celebrations, North Greenwich Arena has been transformed into a sports and entertainment arena with shops, restaurants and more.
Name: Nadia Comaneci
Date of birth: 12 November 1961
Country: Onesti, Romania
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Name: Louis Smith
Date of birth: 22 April 1989
Country: Cambridgeshire, Great Britain
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Name: Daniel Keatings
Date of birth: 4 January 1990
Country: Corby, Great Britain
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Name: Rebecca Bross
Date of birth: 11 July 1993
Country:USA
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