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 five consecutive Olympics. Belarus has been the second most successful nation in the short history of the event with four silver medals and two bronze medals (as of 2020).
In the individual event, gymnasts from four different nations shared the first four editions, but since then, Russian gymnasts have won the gold medal at the last five Olympiads (as of 2020). The only multiple gold medalist in the individual event is Russian Yevgeniya Kanayeva.
Olympic rhythmic gymnastics is only
for female competitors 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 at the Olympics that are solely for women.
[updated for 2021]
Related Pages
- About Gymnastics 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
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
