Rhythmic gymnastics is the performance by girls of various gymnastic and dance exercises with a ball, hoop, jump rope, club or ribbon to a musical soundtrack. The choice of music is arbitrary, the performance lasts within one and a half minutes on a square-shaped gymnastic carpet with a side of 13 meters.
Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most beautiful and spectacular sports. It arose thanks to the ballet of the Mariinsky Theater at the beginning of the 20th century. In a relatively short period of time, rhythmic gymnastics has gained wide popularity. In 1948, the first USSR championship was held, since the mid-50s, athletes began to travel to Europe for demonstration performances. In December 1963, the first international competition was held - the European Cup. And since 1967, competitions have begun not only between athletes in certain types of programs, but also in group exercises.
World championships were held in odd years, and European championships in even-numbered years. Since 1992, both the world championships and the European championships have been held annually. In 1984, rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic sport.
Ball exercises involve throwing, catching, and tossing the ball from one hand to the other. The legs, the head, and the shoulders are also involved. Sharp throws are combined with gymnastic exercises of the athlete (rolls, somersaults).
Exercises with a hoop are associated, first of all, with the rotation of the ring on the arms, torso, legs and neck of the gymnast. The program is also accompanied by various exercises.
The type of rhythmic gymnastics with a rope includes various jumps and bouncing. During the exercise, athletes must rotate the rope in accordance with the pace and rhythm of movements.
Exercises with clubs include swings, throws, rolls of objects to sweat the athlete's body or the court. During the manipulation, the gymnast performs somersaults, turns and other complex movements.
Gymnastics with ribbons consists in continuous formation of various "patterns" with the ribbon. Lena is attached to a wooden stick, which the gymnast is holding onto. Movement consists of swings, throws, re-rolls and interceptions. The exercises are performed in different directions, planes and rhythm. During the actions with the tape, the athlete also performs gymnastic exercises, for example, turns, jumps.
Any performance of a gymnast must organically fit into the musical accompaniment, reflecting the character and composition of the melody.
To stimulate the technical side of the gymnasts 'performance and reduce subjectivity in judges' assessments, the International Gymnastics Federation changed the rules several times. So, for example, since 2009, performances are evaluated by three teams of judges, on a 30-point scale. The first team, divided into two groups, gives marks for the technique. Moreover, one of them assesses the general technique of the athletes, and the second - the technique of working with the subject. Each group consists of two judges. The scores are added together and the arithmetic mean is calculated. The second team, consisting of four judges, assesses the artistry and choreography, and the third group monitors the mistakes in the performance, removing points for them. The final judge's mark consists of the sum of the marks of all three panels.
Rhythmic gymnastics is very popular in Russia. Russian athletes regularly win prizes at the highest ranked competitions. Among the famous gymnasts, one can especially highlight Evgenia Kanaeva, Alina Kabaeva, Irina Chashchina, Yulia Barsukova.
