Rhythmic Gymnastics at the Olympics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a women's only discipline of events that are contested as a part of gymnastics at the Summer Olympics. There are two different medal events in rhythmic gymnastics, all-round individual and all-round group, that are contested during the games. The all-round individual event was included in the games in 1984 and the group event was added in 1996.
Competitors perform choreographed routines incorporating hand-held apparatus. Rhythmic gymnastics uses five apparatus (although there are only four used in each olympic games) - ribbon, clubs, rope, hoop and ball.
The group event has thus far been dominated by Russia. They have won the gold medal in the last four consecutive Olympics. Russia also won the bronze medal in 1996. Belarus has been the second most successful nation in the short history of the event with two silver medals and one bronze medal.
In the individual event, after gymnasts from four different nations, besides Russia, won the gold medal the first four times, Russia established its dominance over the event by taking the gold in the last four consecutive games. They also took two silver medals and one bronze in this span.
Olympic rhythmic gymnastics is only
for female competitorsYevgeniya Kanayeva from Russia is the only two time winner of the event. She took the gold medal in 2008 and 2012. Anna Bessonova of Ukraine is the only other two time medal winner with a bronze in 2004 and 2008.
Trivia
- Although both men and women compete in some form in all sports, rhythmic gymnastics is one of two (the other is synchronized swimming) sporting disciplines that are solely for women.
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Related Pages
- About Gymnastcis at the Olympics
- More information about the sport of Gymnastics
- See more on the Greatest Gymnasts at the Olympics.
- Some unusual gymnastics events have once been part of the Olympics.
- List of Olympic Sports