The Olympic Artistic Gymnastics competition has four phases: qualification, team final, individual all-around final and individual apparatus finals.
All gymnasts compete in the qualifications. The best eight teams then go through to the Team final, where three team members compete on each apparatus. Teams are ranked on their total score.
The best 24 individual gymnasts (maximum two from each country) go through to the Individual All-Around final, where gymnasts compete on all apparatus. The best eight gymnasts on each apparatus (maximum two from each country) go through to the individual apparatus finals.
Each apparatus is judged for difficulty and execution, with the highest scoring athlete the winner.
Although they make it look effortless, gymnasts need incredible strength, control and balance, combined with speed in the Vault. The winning gymnasts will be daring and ambitious – attempting moves that are guaranteed a high score for difficulty if they can be executed to perfection.
Judged against such exacting criteria, the smallest extra step, wobble, misalignment or mistake in a routine can make all the difference. Gymnasts must not lose concentration for a second.
The competition will see 196 competitors - 98 men and 98 women - compete across 14 medal events. Each country is limited to five men and five women. All entries will be confirmed following the sport entries deadline on 9 July 2012.
View the London 2012 Artistic Gymnastics competiton schedule
Find out more about the Artistic Gymnastics competition
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