Rhythmic gymnastics is an Olympic sport. Gymnastics: history of origin and development in Russia. Artistic gymnastics at the Olympics

Modern rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that contains elements of dance, plasticity, ballet and circus art, as well as some elements of acrobatics that are performed to music.

Rhythmic gymnastics has come a long way in its formation and development. Its dance origins go back to ancient times, and, as you know, dance, as a way of expressing emotions and feelings, exists throughout the history of mankind.

Gymnastics as a system of bodily exercises aimed at gaining physical harmony was created and developed in ancient Greece. However, in the Middle Ages, gymnastics was completely forgotten. Its revival as a system of physical education began in the 14th century. Quite a prominent role in this revival in the late XVIII - early XIX century. Germany played, where a trend of philanthropists arose, in which much attention was paid to the development of physical education. Gerhard Fit, Johann Guts-Muts, Friedrich Jahn took an active part in this.

In Russia in the 18th century, the teaching of physical culture as an academic discipline was introduced by Empress Catherine II, guided by the philosophy of the French encyclopedists-enlighteners. Gymnastic exercises, along with dancing, were taught in both departments of the Smolny Institute - "for noble maidens" and "for representatives of the bourgeois class."

But gymnastics became widespread only at the turn of the 20th century: gymnastics appeared everywhere - from four-year city schools to private and state gymnasiums.

For many centuries, dance and gymnastics lived by their own rules, developed at their own pace and rhythm to meet at the turn of the twentieth century and initiate the development of one of the most popular, sophisticated and spectacular sports - rhythmic gymnastics.

Founders of rhythmic gymnastics

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the studios of expressive gymnastics by François Delsarte, dance gymnastics by Georges Demeny, rhythmic gymnastics by Emile Jacques-Dalcroze, and free dance by Isadora Duncan gained great popularity. Their creative heritage served as the basis for the development of a new direction in the artistic movement, which was the source of the emerging sport for women.

Francois Delsarte (1811-1871) - French singer and dramatic actor created a system of expressive gymnastics, which covered all aspects of the acting skills of opera singers: the ability to sing expressively, to master gesture, facial expressions, postures.

Georges Demeny (1850-1917) - French physiologist and teacher, proved the feasibility of using dynamic exercises, exercises for stretching and relaxing muscles, dance movements and exercises with objects (maces, sticks, wreaths, etc.) that contribute to the acquisition of flexibility, dexterity, good posture, the ability to move smoothly and gracefully.

Emile Jacques-Dalcroze (1865-1950) - Swiss composer, professor at the conservatory, creator of the rhythmic gymnastics system. Dalcroze created his own system, using in solfeggio lessons such a methodical technique as slapping rhythmic combinations that were difficult for students to come up with. This system became so popular that in 1910 the professor opened the Rhythm Institute in Hellerau. Similar institutes, courses before the First World War were opened in many cities of Europe and America. St. Petersburg also did not bypass this trend - in 1912, art critic Sergei Volkonsky opened courses in rhythmic gymnastics - almost a complete likeness of the Institute in Hellerau.

Isadora Duncan (1977-1927) - famous American dancer who opened a new dance direction - expressive dance in free plastic. Based on ancient Greek art, studying the poses depicted on Greek vases, Duncan rejected the strict canons of classical ballet, strove for naturalness in dance, the fusion of dance and music.

In the first quarter of the 20th century, there were many schools and courses in Russia that practiced teaching various types of gymnastics and artistic movements. Since 1925, school representatives began to look for ways to organize the exchange of experience and establish joint work. Increasingly, attempts were made to unite divergent schools, rhythm and plastic ceased to oppose each other. This desire to understand, comprehend and systematize the accumulated experience led to the fact that in 1934 the leaders of the most famous rhythmoplastic schools in the country were invited to the State Institute of Physical Culture named after P.F. Lesgaft. And in the same year, the Higher School of the Art Movement was opened on its basis. It is this moment that is the official beginning of the development of rhythmic gymnastics as a sport. The main subject of special training for students at the school was called "rhythmic gymnastics".

In 1934 at the St. Petersburg Institute of Physical Culture. P. F. Lesgaft, the Higher School of the Art Movement (HSHA) was opened. To teach girls to move freely and gracefully, to freely control their bodies - this is precisely the goal that the founders of the school set for themselves. Her first teachers were Roza Varshavskaya (a graduate of the Institute of Rhythm in Hellerau), Anastasia Nevinskaya (representative of the Petrograd Institute of Rhythm), Elena Gorlova, Zinaida Verbova, Alexandra Semyonova-Naypak (former heads of plastic studios), Paulina Koner (student of the New York studio of Mikhail Fokin ), as well as the leading masters of the Mariinsky Theatre. They are deservedly called the pioneers of rhythmic gymnastics.

The first graduation of specialists in rhythmic gymnastics took place in Leningrad in 1938. Yulia Shishkareva, Anna Larionova, Tatyana Varakina, Ariadna Bashnina, Lidia Kudryashova, Tatyana Markova, Sofya Nechaeva and others became after some time the pride of the national school, its most active force, its "general staff", headed by the first head of the department of gymnastics and teacher Lev Orlov, who had a delicate taste and perfectly understood the importance of the aesthetic component of gymnastics.

Competitions, rules, championships

The first competitions in rhythmic gymnastics, prepared by teachers and students of the Institute of Physical Culture named after P.F. Lesgaft, took place in March 1939 in Leningrad.

They were attended by students of the institute and teachers of various sports societies. Two years later, teachers and graduates of the Institute developed the first category classification and standards for rhythmic gymnastics. In 1941, the first city championship in rhythmic gymnastics was held in Leningrad, the winner of which was Yulia Shishkareva.

In 1947, the first All-Union team competition took place - the 1st All-Union Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition in Tallinn. The first winner of the All-Union competitions in rhythmic gymnastics in 1948 in Tbilisi was Ariadna Bashnina (coach E. N. Gorlova). 130 gymnasts from 8 teams participated in the competition: Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Moscow and Leningrad.

THE FIRST EUROPEAN CUP aka THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

In 1961, a demonstration of rhythmic gymnastics to all national federations was held at the Gymnastrade in Stuttgart. A report and demonstration performances of the strongest gymnasts of the USSR were prepared for this. The result was the decision to hold the first official rhythmic gymnastics competition under the auspices of the FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) in 1963 in Budapest according to the rules adopted in the USSR.

The first official international competition in rhythmic gymnastics, as planned, took place on December 6, 1963 in Budapest and was called the European Cup. However, when summing up the results, it was found that among the participants there were gymnasts not only from Europe, so it was decided to consider these competitions the first world championship, and its winner, Muscovite Lyudmila Savinkova, the first world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

In 1967, a fundamentally new team sport appeared in world rhythmic gymnastics - competitions in group exercises. The first World Championships in group exercises took place in 1967 in Copenhagen. The six gymnasts of the Soviet Union won.

Throughout its existence in the development of rhythmic gymnastics, several countries have always occupied a leading position. At the beginning of its appearance on the world stage (since 1960) it was the USSR, then Bulgaria (NRB). In the period from 1960 to 1991, the main competitive struggle took place mainly between the gymnasts of these two countries.

Modern rhythmic gymnastics

The modern program of the Olympic Games includes more than 50 sports. But only one of them - rhythmic gymnastics - was presented to the world by Russia, and not just by Russia, but by St. Petersburg.

In 1980, after the completion of the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow, at the Congress of the International Olympic Committee, the long-awaited decision was made to include rhythmic gymnastics in the program of the Olympic Games. A huge merit in making this decision belonged to the FIG President Yuri Titov (now the FIG Honorary President).

In 1954, rhythmic gymnastics was presented in the program of the XXIII Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA). Unfortunately, the leading female gymnasts from the socialist countries could not take part in the Olympiad.

Canadian gymnast Laurie Fang became the first Olympic champion. The first Olympic medalist in rhythmic gymnastics in Germany was Regina Weber, who won a bronze medal at the Olympics.

The real debut of rhythmic gymnastics in the program of the Olympic Games took place in 1988 at the XXIV Olympic Games in Seoul (South Korea). Soviet gymnast Marina Lobach from Minsk became the Olympic champion.

In 1992, in Barcelona (Spain), Alexandra Timoshenko from Kyiv became the champion of the Games of the XXV Olympiad. In 1996, in Atlanta, at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, rhythmic gymnastics was already represented by two disciplines: all-around competitions in individual and group exercises.

Since the XXVII Olympic Games held in Sydney in 2000, Russian athletes have not given away Olympic gold. The individual all-around winners of the Olympic Games are:

Julia Barsukova - XXVII Olympiad in Sydney

Alina Kabaeva - XXVIII Olympiad in Athens

Evgenia Kanaeva - XXIX Olympiad in Beijing and XXX Olympiad in London

One of the brightest pages in the development of rhythmic gymnastics is associated with the name of the multiple European and world champion, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva. Having become the absolute European champion among adults at the age of 15 (1998), she is the only gymnast in the world inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records. The revolutionary changes in rhythmic gymnastics that took place in the 90s of the twentieth century are largely associated with her name.

Thanks to Alina's performances, the whole world saw dynamic rhythmic gymnastics, with original authorial, coordinated complex elements, artistically performed to the music and creating an expressive artistic image.

Together with her coach Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova, Alina created programs of an increased level of complexity. Following her, almost all gymnasts began to complicate their programs and the FIG technical committee was forced to reflect this in their requirements. So, in the competition rules 2001-2004, the main emphasis was placed on the complication of the elements of all structural groups.

The successful performance of Russian athletes at all world championships and the Olympic Games indicates that Russia has developed a science-based system for training highly qualified gymnasts, which ensures the retention of leading positions.

A huge contribution to the training of world rhythmic gymnastics leaders was made by the Honored Coaches of our country - Irina Viner-Usmanova (head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team), Vera Shtelbaums, Olga Buyanova, Vera Shatalina, Natalia Gorbulina, Valentina Ivanitskaya, Natalia Tishina and many others.

The popularity of modern rhythmic gymnastics in the world is very high. Stadiums and halls are full of spectators attracted by the unique nature of this sport, which combines dance, acrobatic and circus arts.

However, despite all the expressiveness and entertainment, rhythmic gymnastics remains primarily a sport. And not just a sport, but a sport of the highest achievements. Records in rhythmic gymnastics are the maximum manifestation of flexibility, coordination, balance, rotational training, it is also a virtuoso possession of the subject, creative complication of compositions, compliance with the nature, tempo and rhythm of the chosen music.

Gymnastics. Story.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a relatively young sport. Despite this, rhythmic gymnastics has won millions of fans around the world. Its popularity is comparable, perhaps, only with the popularity of the "older" football. The history of the formation of rhythmic gymnastics is interesting.

The roots of rhythmic gymnastics go back to ancient times. Even in ancient Rome, the canons of female beauty ordered women to have a smooth gait and the ability to dance freely and gracefully. Therefore, the creators and legislators of rhythmic gymnastics set themselves the goal of teaching women to move beautifully and liberatedly, to be able to control their bodies.

At the origins of the formation of rhythmic gymnastics was the French teacher and physiologist Georges Demini (1850-1917). He proved the usefulness and expediency of exercises for stretching and relaxing muscles, the use of dance steps, dynamic movements and exercises with objects.

A great contribution to the development of the theory of modern rhythmic gymnastics was made by the French teacher Francois Delsarte (1811-1871). The "Grammar of Artistic Gesture" created by him was used in physical education. It was especially used in mass gymnastic performances, accompanied by music.

The principles developed by Delsarte were embodied in the art of the famous dancer Isadora Duncan (1878-1927). Her dance improvisations, free plasticity of movement are in many ways the prototype of modern rhythmic gymnastics.

The term "rhythmic gymnastics" itself was born in 1934. On the basis of the Leningrad Institute of Physical Culture named after P.F. Lesgaft, the Higher School of the Artistic Movement was opened. Her first rhythmic gymnastics teachers were Elena Gorlova, Anastasia Nevinskaya, Alexandra Semenova-Naypak and Roza Varshavskaya. It is they, the first teaching staff of the school, who are deservedly considered the creators and pioneers of rhythmic gymnastics. Thanks to the help of recognized ballet masters of the Mariinsky Theatre, a new, one of the most beautiful and graceful sports, rhythmic gymnastics, was born at the Higher School.

In April 1941, the first championship of Leningrad in rhythmic gymnastics was held by the forces of teachers and pupils of the school. After the war, in 1949, the first championship of the Soviet Union in rhythmic gymnastics was held.

Further, the development of rhythmic gymnastics takes place at an accelerated pace. The first masters of sports appear. In 1954, Soviet female "artists" go abroad, demonstrating their skills in many countries.

In 1960, the first international rhythmic gymnastics tournament was held in Sofia - a meeting between athletes from the USSR and Bulgaria.

Three years later, the first World Cup started in Budapest. A Muscovite became the absolute world champion in rhythmic gymnastics Ludmila Savinkova.

The first European champion - master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics, an athlete from Omsk Galima Shugurova. She became the absolute champion in 1978.

In 1984, rhythmic gymnastics was officially recognized as an Olympic sport. The first Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics was a gymnast from Canada Lori Flang. Her main rivals, gymnasts from the USSR and Bulgaria, did not take part in this Olympics due to political differences in the world sports community.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, several strongest schools in rhythmic gymnastics were formed in the Olympic sports arena. These are schools of the former Soviet republics - Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Leading positions in the training of athletes in rhythmic gymnastics are also occupied by France, Germany and Spain. Recently, the Israeli rhythmic gymnastics school has gained strength.

In 1988, at the Olympic Games in Seoul, a gymnast from Belarus became the champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Marina Lobach.

At the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, the Ukrainian became the winnerAlexandra Timoshenko.

At the Games in Atlanta in 1996, another Ukrainian athlete repeated her success -Ekaterina Serebryanskaya.

In 2000, at the Sydney Games, a Russian woman becomes the champion in rhythmic gymnastics for the first time -Yulia Barsukova (graduate of "MGFSO").

At the Olympic Games in Athens, which took place in 2004, the athlete of the "MGFSO" climbed the podium Alina Kabaeva.

The success of the Russian school of rhythmic gymnastics is consolidated at the next two Olympics - in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). Here, the winner of the rhythmic gymnastics competition was Evgenia Kanaeva (graduate of "MGFSO").

head coach The Russian rhythmic gymnastics team is Irina Viner-Usmanova. As a coach, she trained a number of famous gymnasts, including winners and prize-winners of the Olympic Games, world and European champions. Since 2008, Irina Aleksandrovna has been the President of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

Thus, the period since the late 90s of the last century, when our gymnasts began to play for the Russian national team, and Irina Viner-Usmanova was the head of the country's rhythmic gymnastics team, can be considered truly "golden".

Documentary about the history of rhythmic gymnastics:

Lecture "History of the development of rhythmic gymnastics"

Perhaps, rhythmic gymnastics is rightfully considered one of the most spectacular sports. In the course of classes, vital motor skills and abilities (applied and sports) are formed, special knowledge is acquired, moral and volitional qualities are brought up.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport for women in performing combinations of various plastic and dynamic gymnastic and dance exercises with and without an object (ribbon, ball, hoop, rope, maces) to music. The modern program of international competitions includes all-around and group exercises with apparatus. The winners are determined in the all-around, in individual events and in the group exercise.

Rhythmic gymnastics teaches to observe the rules of aesthetic behavior, forms the concept of the beauty of the body, brings up taste, musicality.

An important place in rhythmic gymnastics is occupied by such arts as dance and music. Musical accompaniment develops an ear for music, a sense of rhythm, and coordination of movements with music. Elements of dance broaden their general horizons, introduce them to folk art, develop their love for art. They contribute to the development of coordination of movements, dance, rhythm, emancipation, emotionality, improvement of motor qualities. The richness, variety and accessibility of rhythmic gymnastics exercises, their effective impact on the body, entertainment attract a different contingent of those involved in classes.

The means of rhythmic gymnastics correspond to the anatomical, physiological and psychological characteristics of the female body. They are available at any age and body constitution. Rhythmic gymnastics is divided into basic, applied and rhythmic gymnastics with a sports focus.

Basic rhythmic gymnastics is used for the purpose of comprehensive, harmonious physical development, health promotion and improvement of motor functions, posture of those involved. Its means (dances, games to music, exercises without and with objects) are used in kindergartens, comprehensive schools, secondary and higher educational institutions. Applied rhythmic gymnastics is used in the training of athletes in other sports (in artistic gymnastics, acrobatics, figure skating, synchronized swimming), as well as in the training of ballet and circus artists. Her means are elements of dancing, relaxation exercises, waves, swings, jumps, turns, etc.

Rhythmic gymnastics with a sports orientation is very popular. The formation and development of this type of gymnastics is associated with the activities of teachers and coaches M. T. Okunev, A. N. Larionova, Yu. , V. K. Sivokhina, L. B. Nazmutdinova, E. V. Biryuk and others. In the late 50s - early 60s, after the demonstration performances of Soviet gymnasts in a number of countries, rhythmic gymnastics was recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) sport. Since 1963, in odd years, the FIG has been holding world championships, since the beginning of the 70s. major international tournaments are organized by various countries.

Also, a significant contribution to the scientific substantiation of the physical education of girls was made by the French physiologist and teacher Georges Demeny. He proved the expediency of using dynamic exercises, exercises for stretching and relaxing muscles, dance steps, exercises with objects (maces, sticks, wreaths, etc.), which contribute to the acquisition of flexibility, dexterity, good posture, the ability to move smoothly and gracefully.

A great merit in the development of the theory of expressive motor skill belongs to the French teacher - Francois Delsarte. Studying dramatic art, he came to the conclusion that each human experience is accompanied by certain movements of the body, and, therefore, by reproducing movements, one can create the impression of experiences in the viewer. The "Grammar of Artistic Gesture" created by Delsarte began to be used in physical education, especially in the preparation of mass gymnastic performances performed with musical accompaniment. The ideas and principles developed by Delsarte were embodied in the art of the famous dancer Isadora Duncan. Her dances, improvisations, built on the movements of free plasticity, are in many ways reminiscent of modern rhythmic gymnastics.

Along with the gymnastics of expressive movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. rhythmic gymnastics, one of the founders of which was Jacques Dalcroze, professor at the Geneva Conservatory, is widely used. He developed three groups of exercises: rhythmic movements, exercises for ear training and improvised actions, which brought up musicality and ear in students. At first, rhythmic gymnastics was a means of educating musicians and artists, later it began to be used in the field of physical education.

The systems of J. Demeny, F. Delsarte, J. Dalcro and their successors had a significant impact on the emergence and development of rhythmoplastic schools of "women's gymnastics" in pre-revolutionary Russia. In the USSR, women's rhythmic gymnastics immediately became widespread.

In 1923, the Studio of the Plastic Movement was created, directed by Z. D. Verbova. The training program at the studio included rhythmic gymnastics and solfeggio according to J. Dalcroze, plastic arts, gymnastics, acrobatics, elements of choreography, composition of floor exercises, anatomy. The studio trained physical education teachers for secondary schools and technical schools. For the training of highly qualified specialists at the Institute of Physical Culture in Moscow in 1934, the department of artistic movement and acrobatics was created, headed by M.T. Okunev. In the same year in Leningrad at the Institute of Physical Culture. Lesgaft, the first all-Union school of the artistic movement is created. The history of Soviet gymnastics as a full-fledged sport can be divided into two periods.

The first period (1947-1963) is characterized by the formation of rhythmic gymnastics as a means of physical education for women, the creation of the Soviet school of rhythmic gymnastics. The first competitions were held in the form of competitions (Tallinn in 1947, Tbilisi in 1948), and in 1949 the country's first personal and team championship took place. In 1950, a sports classification was published, which played a big role in the further development of rhythmic gymnastics. A unified program and regulatory requirements for gymnasts of various categories specified the content and organization of educational work in the field. The program for masters of sports, introduced in 1954, contributed to the development of rhythmic gymnastics and the growth of sports and technical achievements.

Since 1963, the second period of development of rhythmic gymnastics in the USSR begins. In the same year, a technical commission for rhythmic gymnastics was created under the women's technical committee of the International Gymnastics Federation. From this period, Soviet gymnasts regularly participate in international competitions, including the World Championships (since 1963) and European Championships (since 1978), which predetermined the creation of another international organization, namely the European Gymnastics Federation (UEG). Rhythmic gymnastics is gaining more and more popularity all over the world. The logical result of this is the inclusion of rhythmic gymnastics in the program of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles (1984).

The program of the 1st competition (1947) consisted of arbitrary compositions. Judging was carried out by the jury of the competition. At the 2nd competition (1948), gymnasts performed a compulsory exercise without an apparatus with elements of acrobatics and a free exercise with an apparatus. The offset was only team, without determining the individual championship.

The program of the first individual-team championship of the country (1949) was more progressive and consisted of quadrathlon. The introduction of the Unified Classification was essential for the development of the sport. For all categories, the program consisted of a compulsory exercise without an object, with an object (by lot), exercises with elements of acrobatics, a gymnastic jump (in the junior categories - from the bridge, in the senior ones - from the springboard), in addition, in the I category and the category of masters of sports - free exercise without apparatus and with any apparatus.

Gymnastic jumps in all categories, exercises with elements of acrobatics for masters of sports and candidates for master of sports were excluded from subsequent classification programs. Exercises with objects in arbitrary interpretation gained more weight. Since 1967, the program of masters of sports has come as close as possible to the international one: group exercises with objects were introduced, types of objects were defined (rope, ball, hoop, ribbon, maces).

Simultaneously with the program, the rules of the competition were improved. They determined the types and rules of the competition, the basic requirements for the composition and performance skills of gymnasts in individual and group exercises. In the rules of 1955, the masters of sports provided for 4 elements of the I group of difficulty, in 1967 - 6 in an exercise without an object and 5 with an object, in 1977 there were already 8 of them, 3 of which were to be performed with the left hand. At the same time, the pricing table of elements and connections became more complicated, deductions for possible errors were differentiated, and their gradation was refined.

In 1941, the first city championship was held in Leningrad, where Y. Shishkareva won, six years later, the First All-Union Competition was held in Tallinn, and in 1949 in Kyiv, the first championship of the USSR. Muscovites won the team championship, L. Denisova became the absolute champion of the USSR. Since 1955, the best Soviet gymnasts began to regularly travel abroad with demonstration performances. In 1960, the first official international meeting of the national teams of the USSR, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia was held in Sofia. In November 1963, the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation of the USSR was established. In the same year, the first world championship was held in Budapest.

Introduction

Gymnastics is the technical basis of many sports; the corresponding exercises are included in the training program for representatives of various sports disciplines. Gymnastics not only gives certain technical skills, but also develops strength, flexibility, endurance, a sense of balance, and coordination of movements.

Gymnastics (from the Greek "gymnasium" - I teach, train) - a system of bodily (physical) exercises that developed in ancient Greece many centuries before our era - served the goals of general comprehensive physical development and improvement. However, there is another, less convincing, version of the origin of this word from the Greek "gymnos" - naked, since the ancients were engaged in bodily exercises naked.

There are many types of gymnastics: sports, artistic, hygienic, health and others.

This paper describes the very history of the emergence of gymnastics as an integral part of human life from ancient times to the present.

History of gymnastics

Gymnastics is a system of bodily exercises aimed at gaining physical harmony by a person. This system was created in ancient Greece long before the new era. In addition to general physical exercises, horseback riding, swimming, dancing, gymnastics also included public competitions in running, jumping, javelin and discus throwing, wrestling, fisticuffs, and chariot riding. All these competitions were part of the competition included in the Olympic Games.

In ancient times, not only the Greeks were familiar with gymnastics. For example, in China and India, several thousand years ago, gymnastic exercises were also practiced - mainly for medicinal purposes. Even then, special devices were known, similar to some modern gymnastic equipment. So, in ancient Rome, a kind of “horse” known to us was used to teach the basics of riding.

Early Christians considered gymnastics to be a "satanic invention", opposing the carnal, i.e. its "sinful" beginning - by which, first of all, the nudity of athletes was meant - spiritual, sublime. In 393 gymnastics was officially banned and only in the XIV century. its revival as a system of physical education began.

At the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries, a movement of philanthropists arose in Germany, in which much attention was paid to the development of physical education. Gerhard Fit, Johann Guts-Muts, Friedrich Jahn took an active part in this. In German gymnastics, exercises on the crossbar, rings, uneven bars and pommel horse were popular. The original gymnastics systems were created by the Frenchman Frans Amoros, the Swede Per Ling, the Czech Miroslav Tyrsh. These people have made a great contribution to the history of the development of gymnastics.

Gymnastics as a sport

It is known that in 1817 80 students of F. Amoros held public competitions in Paris, that in Greece, in Athens, starting from 1859, more than once attempts were made to revive the ancient Olympic Games, and competitions were held in many types of physical exercises and gymnastics . It can be assumed that the students of F. Yan tried to measure their strength, compete in performing exercises, and the students of M. Tyrsh - "falcons" - held rallies at which the gymnasts demonstrated their successes and, naturally, these successes were somehow compared.

Gymnastics became a recognized sport in 1896, when it was included in the program of the first modern Olympic Games. And since then it has remained their true decoration.

From the first Olympic Games, gymnasts' competitions were based on exercises on gymnastic apparatus: pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, crossbar and vaults, and since 1932 (Los Angeles, USA) on floor exercises. However, paying tribute to gymnastics - the system of physical education, and depending on the content of gymnastics in the host country of the Olympic Games, the competition program included additional exercises that served as versatile physical training - rope climbing, sprinting, high jump, long jump and pole vault. , shot put. At the Olympic Games, the team championship, the all-around championship and the championship in individual types of all-around events are played.

In the middle of the century, the first indoor gyms appeared in Germany (before that, only open areas operated). Official competitions in artistic gymnastics begin to be held. In the second half of the XIX century. Europe, and later America, are experiencing a real gymnastics boom.

And the next century can rightly be called the "age of gymnastics." Although the modern program of gymnastic competitions was not determined immediately. In addition, they were unusual. Competitions of gymnasts were often held in the open air. At first, there were no unified technical requirements for gymnastic equipment: often national teams came to international competitions with their own “props”.

At first, only men entered the Olympic gymnastic platform, and in 1928 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) women also competed for the first time. True, they missed the next X Games (1932, Los Angeles, USA), but from the XI Games (1936, Berlin, Germany), they constantly participated in all games. At first, women competed only in the team championship, and since the XV Games (1952, Helsinki, Finland) they have also challenged the individual championship in the all-around - vaults, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercises - and in individual types.

Since the XI Games, the men's competition program has stabilized and taken on a modern look - hexathlon: floor exercises, pommel horse, rings, vaults, bars, crossbar.

Before World War II, gymnasts from Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, the USA, Yugoslavia, and Hungary performed more successfully than others. In the 50s, athletes from the USSR and Japan entered the world gymnastic elite, later from Romania, China and Bulgaria, and with the collapse of the USSR, representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

In modern gymnastics, there is a huge number of general developmental and applied exercises for the muscles of the arms, torso and legs, both on apparatus and without them. It uses a gymnastic stick, stuffed balls, wall bars, a rope, a pole, rings, a crossbar, a beam, and bars. Gymnastics includes running, walking, jumping over the bar and supporting: through a goat and a horse, overcoming obstacles and relay races.

gymnastics sports olympic game

Rhythmic gymnastics is considered a national pride for the former Soviet Union, although it became a sport with a capital letter in the pivotal 1980. The Olympic Games in Moscow were held without the participation of gymnasts, but at the congress at the end of the Games they decided to include a new sport in the program - rhythmic gymnastics.

Already at the 1984 games, the gold medal went to Lori Fang, a gymnast from Canada. She forever went down in history as the first Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Doiana Stoiculescu of Romania took silver and bronze went to Germany's Regina Weber.

Our gymnasts did not take part in the Olympic competitions, due to the response to the boycott announced by 50 countries in 1980 in Moscow, although the Bulgarian girls were worthy rivals of the Olympic medalists.

Golden Age of Bulgarian gymnasts

At the alternative but unofficial 1984 games in Sofia, held for the socialist camp, two Bulgarian gymnasts shared gold, with Dilyana Georgieva losing one gold medal to her teammate Anela Ralenkova in the clubs exercise. The Soviet national team represented by Galina Beloglazova and Dalia Kukaite won the second prize at the Socialist Olympics.

The 1988 Olympics predicted gold for Bulgarian gymnasts Adriana Dunavskaya and Biyanka Panova, as well as girls from the Soviet Union team, which included Marina Lobach and Alexandra Timoshenko. The final for all four participants was brilliant, but at the qualifying competitions Marina Lobach performed unmistakably, unlike her rivals, so she got the gold.

After the collapse of the USSR, a team from the CIS member countries was formed to participate in the 1992 games. The representatives of the team were Ukrainian athletes Alexandra Timoshenko and Oksana Skaldina. Alexandra exceeded all expectations, and won the title of absolute champion. Oksana lost silver to Spaniard Carolina Pascual

The 1996 Games brought success to Ukrainians Ekaterina Serebryanskaya and Elena Vitrichenko and students of Irina Viner Amina Zaripova and Yana Batyrshina, who showed new trends in gymnastics.

The Games in Sydney (2000) brought gold to the Russian team, Belarusian gymnasts won second place, and the Spanish graces took bronze. Yulia Barsukova received the title of Olympic champion, and all the media called Alina Kabaeva the favorite of the games, although she took only third place.

At the 2004 games, Alina Kabaeva was lucky enough to win the title of Olympic champion, despite the fact that mistakes were made in all exercises. Irina Chashchina performed wonderfully, but one mistake moved her to second place. Ukrainian gymnast Anna Bessonova won bronze.

At the Olympic Games in Beijing, the gold medal rightfully went to Evgenia Kanaeva, the Belarusian Inna Zhukova took the silver. Anna Bessonova got a bronze medal. The next six places went to the pupils of Irina Viner. The incomparable Evgenia Kanaeva also became the main star of rhythmic gymnastics in London.

Let's hope that our girls will continue to win prizes at subsequent Olympiads and demonstrate their unsurpassed abilities to the whole world.