ACOG - Gymnastics: Artistic - IBM

Olympic Gymnastics-Artistic Overview

They've been called pixies and iron men, dynamos and daredevils but only the very best are called Olympic champions.

They are the athletes of the Olympic artistic gymnastics competition and throughout the history of the Games they have tumbled and flipped, twisted and turned their way into the hearts of adoring and astonished fans. In 1996, even more fans will witness the competition when record crowds fill the 35,000-seat Georgia Dome to cheer the newest group of Olympic medalists.

One of the oldest of the Olympic sports, gymnastics dates back more than 2,000 years, but the routines of today bear little resemblance to the exercises of the ancient gymnasts. With moves and skills that have become increasingly difficult and daring, today's gymnasts have pushed the limits of the sport's scoring system, leaving wide-eyed officials to reconsider what constitutes the fabled perfect 10.

But while officials seek a fair way to score the complex combinations of twists, saltos and release moves, the athletes continue to contribute to the growing collection of near-mandatory skills. As a result, the vocabulary of the sport sounds more like an international who's who of Olympic and world champions. Gaylords, Yurchenkos, Tsukaharas and Thomas flairs bare the names of the gymnasts who created the moves and thereby added their own signature innovations to the sport. In addition, names like Olga, Nadia and Mary Lou have defined charisma, originality and perfection while becoming everlasting icons of the sport.

The next generation of Olympic gymnasts will be a little older and perhaps even more creative. Following the 1996 Games, women must be at least 16 years old to participate in the Games, matching the minimum age requirements for men. The Centennial Games also mark the last time compulsory exercises will be included in the competition, leaving athletes to concentrate on their more difficult and original optional routines.

Even with changes in the format and age requirements, there will always be pixies, iron men, dynamos and daredevils to charm and thrill Olympic spectators. And just as there were 100 years ago, as long as competitors flip, twist, tumble and turn, there will always be Olympic champions.

This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Diana Drayson and Howard Thomas.


Olympic Factoid
More tickets were sold to the competitions of the 1996 Games than to any other Olympic Games or sports event in history. The 8.6 million ticket sales figures topped sales to the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games combined.