The History Of Gymnastics

Superior Essays
Every young gymnast dreams of competing in the Olympic Games. They picture themselves standing on the Olympic podium with a gold medal around their necks, millions of people cheering for them. Thousands of gymnasts across the world train countless hours, giving everything they have into the sport of gymnastics just for a chance of getting an Olympic title. Gymnastics is enjoyed by both athletes and spectators around the world, but have you ever stopped and wondered how this sport originated?
Gymnastics has been around for over 2000 years. The word gymnastics was derived from the ancient Greek word gymnos meaning “naked.” The sport was given this name because, in ancient times, the athletes exercised and competed without wearing any clothing.
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This book identifies three components of physical education, one which includes gymnastics, and, as Park says, “is often cited as laying the foundations for a comprehensive system of exercises and as well as today's competitive sport” (411). He has also published several shorter books about physical exercise and has “published two books in which he combined gymnastics with the German Turnverein (gymnastics club) movement, a movement that followed the ideals of German educator Friedrich Ludwig Jahn” (Hansen). This movement follows the ideas of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, also known as “The Father of Gymnastics.” Jahn invented many of the apparatuses that are still used in today’s competitions including the horizontal bar, parallel bars, balance beam, side horse with pommels, and vaulting horse. He also created the ladder, although it is no longer used in modern …show more content…
According to Callum Tennent, in the 1792 Olympics in Munich, Korbut won balance beam, floor exercises and team competition gold as well as silver in the uneven bars. She also became the first person to ever compete a back flip on the balance beam at these Games. “But she will be forever remembered for her "Korbut flip" -- a move so original and so groundbreaking that gymnastics would never be the same again” (Tennent). The Korbut flip is performed by standing on top of the upper bar, executing a backflip, and catching the upper bar from underneath it. This move is now illegal according to the Olympic gymnastics Code of Points.
Nadia Comaneci has also impacted the sport of gymnastics in many ways. In 1976, in the Montreal Games, Nadia became the first person to earn a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympics. Nadia also became the youngest all-around Olympic gold medalist in history at these Games. She earned a perfect score six more times after this competition. She has inspired so many young gymnasts to give gymnastics everything that they have and chase perfection even when flawlessness seems to be

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