DANIEL ALCIDES CARRION NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF HUMAN MEDICINE

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF HUMAN MEDICINE

FACULTY: HUMAN MEDICINE

SEMESTER: FIRST
COURSE: PHYSICAL EDUCATION
TOPIC: RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS
TEACHER: CUENCA REYES, Edgar Rodolfo
STUDENT: CAVE MIRROR, Jacquelyne Estefani

CERRO DE PASCO – PERU

AUGUST 2020

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 DEDICATION

I want to dedicate this monograph to my parents, Eduardo and

Dayse, for bringing me into this world, for everything

that they have given me in this life, for being my

inspiration and always be by my side in the

most difficult moments.

To my aunts, Sonia and Rosario for all the

unconditional effort that they are giving to

patients infected by Covid-19 and

show us your bravery day by day.

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INDEX

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………..4

2. Objectives………………………………………………..…………………...

…….5

2.1 General Objective………………..……………….…….……….…….5

2.2 Specific Objectives……………………..………….………...……..….5

3. Body……………….…………………………………………...….………..6

3.1. Conceptual framework…………………………………………….

………......6

3.2.1 Definition of rhythmic gymnastics………………….………....

……..6

3.2.2 History of rhythmic gymnastics………………………….

…………...6

3.2.3 Characteristics of rhythmic gymnastics………………….……...…

22

4. Conclusions…………………………………………………………...……. .29

5. Bibliography………………………………………………………………..……

30

6. Annexes………………………………………………….……………….

……..31

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 1. INTRODUCTION

In this monograph I want to cover all the implements that make up rhythmic

gymnastics: hoop, ribbon, ball, rope and clubs, and introduce their history over

time and their characteristics.

Rhythmic Gymnastics is an exclusively feminine sport closely linked to

aesthetics in which sensitivity to music and soft and complex movements are

shown , which manage to captivate even the person who claims to be furthest

from art and sport. .

It is performed through free natural movements, generally accompanied by

orchestrated music. It totally excludes those physical exercises that require

violence or that are executed mechanically .

In rhythmic gymnastics, every movement must be an expression of the person

as a whole and, therefore, affect all parts of the body equally. The devices used

are small and are related to the specific characteristics of the exercise itself.

Since its beginnings, rhythmic gymnastics has been linked to the classic (music

and movements), although this has changed a little lately, it will never stop

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being that way, since in this sport the woman expresses herself as she is,

wearing the soft music inside and reflecting it in wonderful movements.

2. GOALS

2.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVE

 Learn about rhythmic gymnastics.

2.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

 Recognize the definition of rhythmic gymnastics.

 Know the history of rhythmic gymnastics.

 List the devices used in rhythmic gymnastics.

 Describe the characteristics of the devices.

 Understand the correct execution of the various devices.

 Know the various movements that can be performed with the devices.

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 3. BODY

3.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

3.1.1 DEFINITION OF RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sports discipline that combines elements of ballet ,

gymnastics and dance , as well as the use of various devices such as rope,

hoop, ball, masses and ribbon.

In this sport, both competitions and exhibitions are held in which the gymnast is

accompanied by music to maintain a rhythm in her movements, performing a

montage with or without apparatus. Rhythmic gymnastics develops harmony ,

grace and beauty through creative movements, translated into personal

expressions through the musical, theatrical and technical combination, which

mainly transmits aesthetic satisfaction to the spectators. Practiced mainly by

women, in recent years the number of male practitioners has increased. The

tests are carried out on a mat and the duration of the exercises is approximately

90 seconds in the individual modality and 150 in the group modality.

It is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), who develops

the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of elite international competition.

The most notable competitions are the Olympic Games , the World Rhythmic

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Gymnastics Championships , the European Rhythmic Gymnastics

Championships and the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup .

3.1.2 HISTORY OF RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Rhythmic gymnastics has its historical antecedents in the gymnastic

movements and systems that emerged in the 18th century throughout Western

Europe. The ideological origin of rhythmic is found in gymnastics based on

rhythm, in ballet and in the so-called natural gymnastics. If in ballet we must

highlight the contributions of Jean-Georges Noverre , with respect to natural

gymnastics it must be said that it takes its starting point from the theories of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) regarding the global development of the

child, which included bodily aspects, until then not considered in theories on

education.

The German pedagogue Johann Bernhard Basedow (1723-1790) would

translate Rousseau's ideas into reality, turning physical exercises into an

essential part of a harmonious and comprehensive education. Towards the end

of the 18th century, educators such as Christian Gotthilf Salzmann , Johann

Heinrich Pestalozzi and Guts Muths would continue Rousseau's naturalist

ideas. The latter, considered the father of pedagogical gymnastics, wrote the

first in-depth writings on the purpose of gymnastics, indicating that the exercises

performed should be pleasant, in addition to developing the person completely.

However, the arrival of Friedrich Jahn 's nationalist gymnastics would end up

drowning out the pedagogical ideas of Guts Muths in Germany. These,

however, would be more popular and continued in the Nordic countries,

especially in Sweden.

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The Swedish doctor Pehr Henrik Ling , initiator of the so-called Northern

Movement, further developed Rousseau's ideas, creating the so-called Swedish

gymnastics around 1814. These were exercises of a rigid nature with little room

for creativity and artistic expression, but they provided primordial and

pedagogical principles to physical activity, absent in those years. He is

responsible for the classification of exercises as pedagogical, military,

therapeutic and aesthetic, although Ling did not cultivate the latter because he

considered that they should be developed by other educators. In aesthetic

gymnastics promoted by Ling, students express their feelings and emotions

through body movement. This idea was extended by Catharine Beecher , who

founded the Western Female Institute in Ohio (United States) in 1837. In

Beecher's gymnastics program, called grace without dancing, young girls

worked out to music, moving from simple calisthenics to more intense activities.

Around 1864, the American teacher Diocletian Lewis goes beyond Beecher,

including in his classes for girls hand-eye coordination exercises and the use of

wooden hoops, light weights and Indian clubs.

In the mid-19th century, with the French musician and teacher François

Delsarte , components more closely related to subsequent rhythmic gymnastics

began to appear, as he was the first to implement his ideas regarding the

expression of feelings through movements. of the body. More than a

gymnastics method, it attempted to help actors find natural postures and more

expressive gestures. This new way of understanding movement was brought to

the United States by Genevieve Stebbins, who opened a school of expression

in New York and published the book The Delsarte System of Expression in

1885, which popularized the method. Based on Delsarte's ideas and Ling's

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exercises, Stebbins created a personal method in which the body had to be an

instrument capable of expressing itself artistically. Although her ideology was

not able to take root in the American mentality, the work of her students did

have a significant influence in Europe on the development of modern women's

gymnastics and dance. Delsarte's work is considered the main inspiration of the

Center Movement, a current in which the creation process of modern

gymnastics (the first rhythmic gymnastics) was framed.

Of all the currents developed parallel to the Lingian movement of northern

Europe (Northern Movement), the so-called Center Movement, developed in

Germany, Austria and Switzerland, was the one that had the greatest relevance

to rhythmic gymnastics. Born at the end of the 19th century, it was developed in

the 20th century. Considered an artistic-rhythmic-pedagogical manifestation, it

was influenced by the natural and globalist theories of Rousseau and the ideas

of Delsarte regarding expression, as well as by Ling's own Swedish gymnastics.

This movement promoted Dalcroze's eurythmy and, later, Bode's modern

gymnastics.

Starting in the 1890s, the Swiss educator and musician Émile Jaques-Dalcroze

developed a method of musical education that he called eurhythmics, where the

practice of rhythmic exercises was a means to develop musical sensitivity

through movements. of the body. He also developed studies from which he

obtained the harmonic relationship of movements with balance and the states of

the central nervous system, which generated a great influence on the formation

of dance schools and physical education, since it gained a new appearance and

a new branch. Some of the teachers he trained would later be the initiators of

rhythmic gymnastics.

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At the same time as Dalcroze, an American dancer, Isadora Duncan , also

made contributions to the rhythmic creation process. Considered a revolutionary

of dance and a promoter of free dance, she maintained that gymnastics was the

basis of all physical education and developed gymnastics exercises based on

naturalness, where turns, jumps and undulations of the body were a

fundamental part. His theories were the root of German expressionism in the

field of dance, of which the Hungarian choreographer Rudolf Laban is one of

the greatest exponents through the development, for example, of expressive

dance. Laban developed innovative dance techniques far from classical ballet ,

trying to find more emotionally expressive movements, sometimes even going

so far as to dispense with musical accompaniment, since in his opinion

movement was the foundation of dance. The German dancer Mary Wigman , a

disciple of Laban, was the other great exponent of expressionist dance,

adapting many techniques from Isadora Duncan, such as the use of gymnastics

and acrobatics.

It is with Rudolf Bode , a German music teacher who was a student of Dalcroze,

that modern gymnastics definitively emerged. He began his work at the

Dameros Institute, where Heinrich Medau and Mary Wigman also studied. From

various influences such as Pestalozzi, Noverre, Delsarte, Dalcroze (eurhythmy),

Duncan (natural dance), or Laban and Wigman (expressionist dance), Rudolf

Bode created modern gymnastics (initially called expressive gymnastics), the

first rhythmic gymnastics. In 1911 Bode founded his school in Munich and in

1922 his book Expressive Gymnastics was published and the Bode League was

created, a kind of association to spread this new modality. Bode can therefore

be considered the father of rhythmic gymnastics. Their ideas spread quickly

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throughout Europe, mainly in Germany, where they broke with a century of

certain immobility in this regard, as the nationalist gymnastics of Friedrich Jahn

(the first artistic gymnastics ) continued to prevail in this country. Bode's modern

gymnastics was designed exclusively for women from the beginning. As

devices, Bode would introduce the cane, balls, medicine balls, the tambourine

or the drum.

Bode's great successor in the development of modern gymnastics was the also

German Heinrich Medau , who in 1929 created the Movement College in Berlin.

Her most important contribution to gymnastics systems was the creation of a

method focused directly on adult and young women, in which health was

benefited, a correct attitude was developed and the harmony of movement was

exalted by managing the entire body. Regarding the devices, he uses the same

ones as Bode (with greater use of the ball) and introduces the hoop and clubs,

which survive today. For Medau, the devices facilitated the mastery of

movement, directed the student's attention towards the exercise she was

performing, removed psychic inhibitions, managed to subdue shyness and

achieved a more rhythmic and fluid execution using the body as a whole.

Medau also highlighted the importance of correct posture and breathing in

making movements. Medau's ideas in relation to technical and methodological

principles have a similar line to those of Bode, although he contributes his own

that complete or replace them, especially with respect to musical improvisation,

oscillating and undulating movements, and the use of rhythmic knocks and

claps. His theories and movement systems were unveiled at the 1936 Berlin

Olympic Games .

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Outside of Germany, it is also worth highlighting in the process of creating

rhythmic gymnastics the neo-Swedish gymnastics, integrated into the Northern

Movement, in which Elli Björksten (Finnish), Elin Falk and Maja Carlquist

(Swedish) stand out. It arises as a way to evolve the Lingian system (Swedish

gymnastics), contributing with new components to eliminate its rigidity. They

contributed the use of music and gave greater importance to the aesthetic

aspect of the exercises and the naturalness of the movement, in addition to

using a more flexible and adaptable concept of discipline. Like Medau, they

used rhythmic blows and claps as technical resources and introduced

crossbows, swings and hesitations in the execution of the exercises. The work

of free hands and devices, mainly in the ensemble modality, is partly due to

them. The demonstrations by Maja Carlquist's girls' team during the 1936 Berlin

Olympic Games and the World Congress of Physical Education are relevant.

Modern gymnastics, being practiced by groups of women, had already been

developed in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games (the first Games with female

gymnastics competition), in the 1934 World Gymnastics Championships (first

World Gymnastics Championship with female participation ), the 1950 World

Gymnastics Championships , the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games , the first

edition of the Gymnaestrada in Rotterdam (1953), or the 1956 Melbourne

Olympic Games , however, it was developed as another competition within

gymnastics. classical gymnastics (current artistic gymnastics ), since in addition

to the corresponding tests, a test of combined group exercises was carried out

where portable devices such as a ball, clubs, hoop, etc. were used. In this

competition, the Swedish team's work with balls at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic

Games is notable, which separated them from the rest of the participants by the

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use of harmonious movements in which the entire body acted and helped them

win the gold medal in combined group exercises. This event disappeared from

the Olympic program in 1960.

The first time rhythmic gymnastics appeared as a competitive sport was in the

Soviet Union in the 1940s. Already in 1934, the "Study of Plastic Movement"

center had begun the training of highly qualified Physical Education teachers at

the Higher Institutes of Physical Culture in Moscow and Leningrad (now St.

Petersburg). These, from their respective university chairs of "Artistic

Movement", laid the foundations for the development of rhythmic gymnastics. In

1945, the National Committee for Physical Culture and Sports Affairs, attached

to the Council of Ministers, held a conference where it announced the decision

to develop sports-oriented women's gymnastics in the Soviet Union, which was

then called artistic gymnastics. , the rhythmic gymnastics. Somewhat later, on

October 22, 1946, this new sport was officially recognized in the country. This

development as a sport materialized in the first exhibition championships

organized in Tallinn (1947) and in Tbilisi (1948), until the 1st National

Championship was held in 1949. This country can therefore be considered the

cradle of current rhythmic gymnastics, being the first to organize both

competitions and exhibitions.

It is worth highlighting from this time the Soviet Shisch Kareva, who wrote a

pioneering book in this new sport in which he developed the apparatus and

fundamental principles of it. This work had a fundamental influence on rhythmic

gymnastics in Bulgaria , where its own current emerged in 1951, the Bulgarian

school, which in turn contributed to the enrichment of later rhythmic gymnastics.

Already then the differentiating lines of the two main rhythmic schools began to

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be drawn. On the one hand, the Russian school based rhythmic gymnastics on

classical dance and basic body technique, and the movements were given

expressiveness, harmony, elegance and spaciousness in space, but initially

there was not a great presence of risk in exercises. The Bulgarian school, for its

part, although it took the Russian school as a starting point, emerged due to the

need to contribute new ideas to the little information they had, since at that time

(1950s), there were no tournaments. or meetings at an international level that

would help to clearly share the development that this sport should follow. At the

Bulgarian national championships, originality and risk were mainly valued. From

there, a style began to develop characterized by a great diversity of elements

and greater dynamism, in addition to a high degree of personal idiosyncrasy of

the gymnasts, without leaving aside technical correctness. In 1961, the first

meeting between the teams of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria

was held in Bulgaria. In the meeting both styles could be seen as clearly

different and the results left the Bulgarian and Soviet gymnasts tied for first

positions. The Russian and Bulgarian schools of rhythmic gymnastics still exist

today as differentiated styles and follow a similar line in many aspects to that of

their beginnings.

In June 1962, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) recognized

rhythmic gymnastics (under the name modern gymnastics) as an independent

sport at its 41st Congress in Prague.

In December 1963, the first World Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics ,

then still called modern gymnastics, were held, the World Championships in

Budapest . In it, an individual competition was held with one floor exercise and

two apparatus exercises. As no common guidelines were established, a wide

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range of techniques and styles could be seen. The first champion was the

Soviet Ludmila Savinkova , followed by her compatriot Tatiana Kravtchenko and

the Bulgarian Julia Traslieva . The FIG decided from then on to hold a World

Cup every two years. In 1965 the World Championships took place in Prague .

Three months before its celebration and with the aim of unifying criteria

worldwide, an international course for judges was held in the same city. This

fact contributed decisively to the foundations of the discipline today, agreeing

that rhythmic gymnastics is not any type of dance nor can it be considered part

of artistic gymnastics, since it has its own style as it is based on natural

movements of the body. and in the personal expression of the gymnast. In this

event, they competed with a mandatory free hands exercise (to help outline the

orientation of rhythmic gymnastics) and three free exercises with ropes, ball and

free hands. For the first time, grades divided into two sections (composition and

execution) were awarded. In Prague, it rose to the then Czechoslovakia as a

world power, by obtaining gold and bronze overall with Hana Micechová and

Hana Machatová respectively, leaving the Soviet Tatiana Kravtchenko with the

silver medal.

In 1967, the World Championships in Copenhagen were organized, the third

edition of the World Cup, which for the first time included the incorporation of an

ensemble competition. The triumph in this new modality went to the Soviet

team, which had among its ranks Ludmila Savinkova , thus becoming the only

gymnast to be world champion of the general competition as an individual and

in groups. As a result of this championship, the FIG created a special

commission within the Women's Technical Committee that, from 1968 to 1972,

was in charge of developing the regulations of the competitions, the rules for

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judging the exercises, the difficulties and specific techniques for the exercises.

ball, hoop and rope, or penalties. In 1969, the Varna World Championships

were held, the last World Championship to feature hands-free competition.

Bulgaria won the gold and silver individually with the figures María Gigova and

Nechka Robeva and the gold together, then starting a close competition with

the Soviet Union that would continue in future championships. After this

championship, rules were agreed upon for judging the exercises and a list of

difficulties that resulted, in 1970, in the first Code of Points for rhythmic

gymnastics. In 1971, the World Championships took place in Havana , the first

held outside Europe and the first in which the treadmill appeared as a

mandatory exercise. Other free ball, hoop and rope exercises were also

presented. Bulgaria continued its hegemony by being gold in both modalities

ahead of the USSR. In 1972, a new commission within the FIG, different from

the one that had operated until now and with greater autonomy, changed the

name of the sport, from being called modern gymnastics to being called modern

rhythmic gymnastics. That same year the FIG asked the IOC for rhythmic

gymnastics to be considered an Olympic discipline, but this request was

rejected.

In 1973 the World Championships were organized in Rotterdam . For the first

time, clubs are included as a mandatory exercise, and the three free exercises

are also performed with the ball, hoop and ribbon. In sets, the exercises were

rope exercises. Bulgaria repeated the success in the individual modality with its

star gymnast María Gigova , who in this championship became the first

gymnast to be world champion in the general competition on three occasions

(later María Petrova , Yevgéniya Kanáyeva and Yana Kudryavtseva would

16
equal her record ). In 1975, the FIG commission in charge of the constitution of

modern rhythmic gymnastics became an autonomous Technical Committee.

This new Committee again changed the name of the discipline to sports

rhythmic gymnastics (GRD). That same year the World Championships in

Madrid were held, in which there was a boycott from some Eastern countries. In

this championship the mandatory exercise disappeared, since the purpose of

this was to establish a clear and defined style for rhythmic gymnastics, which

was considered to have already been achieved. The competition was

developed with four free individual exercises with a hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon

and a group exercise with 3 balls and 3 ropes.

By this time, rhythmic gymnastics had already acquired much more solid

foundations at the level of regulations, technique and organization, which

allowed the development of subsequent championships with a much more

stable character.

On March 16, 1978, part of the Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics team lost their

lives in a plane crash during a flight from Sofia to Poland. Among others, Julieta

Shismanova (highest representative of the Bulgarian Federation and coach of

gymnasts such as María Gigova and Nechka Robeva ), coach Rumiana

Stefanova and gymnasts Albena Petrova and Valentina Kirilova died in the

tragedy. That same year, the first European Rhythmic Gymnastics

Championship was held in Madrid , where in the general competition the

Soviets Galima Shugurova and Irina Deriugina won gold and silver, and the

bronze went to the Spanish Susana Mendizábal .

In the 1980s, an increase was observed in the number of participants in both

national and international competitions, as well as in the number of countries

17
participating in them. In addition, a compendium of technical and organizational

regulations relating to the championships held by the FIG was published. In

1980, the existence of three individual gymnasts per country in the European

Championships was approved, a decision that was applied from 1982, which

caused the competition to be extended one more day. Also at this time, there

was substantial innovation in the structure of the Scoring Code, taking the form

of a classifier, which later allowed partial changes to be made without modifying

the rest. In addition, the creation of the World Cup was then debated.

In 1981 the IOC finally approved that rhythmic gymnastics be part of the

Olympic Games program starting in Los Angeles 1984, although only in its

individual form. In 1982 a new system of apparatus rotation for FIG

competitions began, beginning a new two-year cycle from 1983 that could be

repeated regularly. In 1983, the first Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup took

place, held in Belgrade, to which only the 20 best gymnasts classified in the

World Championship prior to the event would enter. It is also worth highlighting

the dominance that Bulgaria had in almost all the official championships in the

1980s, especially in the World and European Championships, where it won the

vast majority of available golds, being represented by figures such as Iliana

Raeva , Anelia Ralenkova , Lilia Ignatova , Bianka Panova , Adriana Dunavska ,

Diliana Gueorguieva or Elizabet Koleva . This generation was known as the

Golden Girls of Bulgaria.

In Los Angeles 1984, rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic discipline,

although only in individual form. Due to the Cold War , the communist bloc , led

by the Soviet Union, boycotted the Olympic Games when they were held in the

United States. The first Olympic champion was Canadian Lori Fung , this being

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the only time a rhythmic gymnast from America has achieved an international

title. He was preceded by Romanian Doina Stăiculescu and West Germany 's

Regina Weber .

After the celebration of the World Championships in Valladolid in 1985, the FIG

Technical Committee transmitted to the newly created European Gymnastics

Union (UEG) the competition of the European Championship and to the

American Gymnastics Union that of the Four Continents Championship. During

1986, the Technical Committee reviewed the new Points Code in detail,

modifying some aspects and experimenting with new ways of calculating

average and final grades from the scores awarded between 1986 and 1987.

The results were used to configure the next Code, which had to wait until 1988

when the Olympic regulations determined that sports regulations could not be

changed during the two years preceding the Games. Also this year there was

an important modification in the group exercises, when it was agreed to carry

out two exercises on different days, instead of one. One composition would be

performed from this moment on with six identical devices (this device being the

one that would not appear in the individual competition), while the other would

be performed with two different devices (mixed exercise). This change was

effective from the 1987 World Championship .

In Los Angeles 1984, rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic discipline,

although only in individual form. Due to the Cold War , the communist bloc , led

by the Soviet Union, boycotted the Olympic Games when they were held in the

United States. The first Olympic champion was Canadian Lori Fung , this being

the only time a rhythmic gymnast from America has achieved an international

19
title. He was preceded by Romanian Doina Stăiculescu and West Germany 's

Regina Weber .

After the celebration of the World Championships in Valladolid in 1985, the FIG

Technical Committee transmitted to the newly created European Gymnastics

Union (UEG) the competition of the European Championship and to the

American Gymnastics Union that of the Four Continents Championship. During

1986, the Technical Committee reviewed the new Points Code in detail,

modifying some aspects and experimenting with new ways of calculating

average and final grades from the scores awarded between 1986 and 1987.

The results were used to configure the next Code, which had to wait until 1988

when the Olympic regulations determined that sports regulations could not be

changed during the two years preceding the Games. Also this year there was

an important modification in the group exercises, when it was agreed to carry

out two exercises on different days, instead of one. One composition would be

performed from this moment on with six identical devices (this device being the

one that would not appear in the individual competition), while the other would

be performed with two different devices (mixed exercise). This change was

effective from the 1987 World Championship .

At this time, the media increased their interest in broadcasting the events, which

had a favorable impact on the economy of the different institutions dedicated to

rhythmic gymnastics in the world. In 1991, the Spanish rhythmic gymnastics

team was proclaimed world champion in the general competition, being the first

time, not counting the boycott of the 1975 World Cup, that a country not

belonging to the then called Eastern Bloc achieved a world title.

20
In 1993 there was a major renewal of the Points Code. The admission of the

ensemble event to the Olympic program was accepted by the IOC in April of

that year. Yuri Titov, president of the FIG, achieved this inclusion despite the

fact that the IOC was reluctant to incorporate new disciplines and favored

reducing the number of participants in the Games. This caused some

organizational changes, including reducing the number of judges and individual

gymnasts for the 1996 Atlanta Games, as well as the duration of the

competition. Also, starting in 1995, ensemble exercises went from being

performed by six gymnasts and one reserve to five gymnasts and one reserve.

In 1996 the ensemble modality finally debuted on the Olympic calendar at the

Atlanta Olympic Games . The first Olympic title in this category was won by

Spain, followed by Bulgaria (silver) and Russia (bronze). The Spanish group,

made up of Marta Baldó , Nuria Cabanillas , Estela Giménez , Lorena Guréndez

, Tania Lamarca and Estíbaliz Martínez , received the pseudonym of the Golden

Girls . In 1998 the FIG finally decided to change the name of the sport from

rhythmic sports gymnastics to the current term, rhythmic gymnastics.

Currently the International Gymnastics Federation only recognizes the women's

sport. The men's category was developed in Japan around the 1970s, with the

first men's rhythmic gymnastics World Cup held in that country in 2003 with the

presence of five countries: Japan, Canada , South Korea , Malaysia and the

United States . For the 2005 edition, Australia and Russia were added. In

Europe, some federations such as the Spanish one have also approved this

modality, with the first Spanish Championship being held in 2009, although with

rules similar to women's rhythmic gymnastics, unlike that practiced in Asia.

3.1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

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The sporting career of a rhythmic gymnast usually has a short longevity

compared to other sports. Normally it begins to be practiced at an early age,

entering junior age on January 1 of the 13th year, and senior age, and therefore

eligible to compete in the Olympic Games, in the 16th year. The peak of shape

is usually in adolescence (15 - 19 years), although it is more common to see it

from the twenties onwards. The Spanish Almudena Cid and Carolina Rodríguez

have competed in international competitions at the age of 28 and 30

respectively, being considered the oldest elite rhythmic gymnasts.

The body of a rhythmic gymnast is generally slimmer and less defined than that

of an artistic gymnast , usually shorter and stockier. Characterized by the high

demand for coordination for the athlete, this modality has symmetry and

bilaterality as fundamental principles for good execution. As in artistic

gymnastics, due to its high technical difficulty and the high level is reached at an

early age, it is important to start training as soon as possible if you want to

reach the elite, ideally starting between 2 or 6 years, since women have a

development potential that can be maintained in the maturity stage of basic

motor skills, that is, between 15 and 20 years of age. The practice of rhythmic

gymnastics must develop skills such as strength , power, flexibility , agility,

dexterity and resistance , to reach the technical degree necessary to show

vigor, beauty and harmony in the exercise movements. In general, rhythmic

gymnastics has three aspects that must be worked on: body movement,

handling of the apparatus and musical accompaniment. These three elements

form the unity that underpins rhythmic gymnastics.

As preparation, the gymnast has physical exercises started at school age to

improve her physical skills and motor coordination, as well as encourage her

22
social interaction, beyond the pleasure and stimulation that comes from

practice. The introduction of devices should be done gradually so that the girl

adapts to the characteristics of each one. This preparation is carried out for the

future, in which the gymnast will have an improvement in physical condition and

will enjoy experiences arising from coexistence as a team, as well as a greater

psychological structure when having to face opposite situations such as victory

and defeat. . Physical training can become harmful if poorly supervised and

combined with poor diet . A good nutritional education is essential for

maintaining both physical and intellectual performance. That is why a study is

usually needed on each practitioner in order to obtain personalized calorie

consumption needs. If dietary restrictions must occur, they are advised by

nutritionists so that the gymnast does not harm her health. Various studies have

supported that regular practice of rhythmic gymnastics facilitates skeletal

development and prevents age-related loss of bone mineral density.

In conclusion, for an ideal rhythmic gymnastics practice, an interaction between

gymnast, coach and family is necessary, in order to create appropriate habits,

both dietary and social as well as safety, for the maintenance of physical and

psychological well-being, which will generate positive effects on the intellectual

and sporting performance of gymnasts.

The so-called body elements are the basis of individual and group exercises,

and can be performed in different directions, planes, with or without movement,

resting on one or two feet or another part, and coordinated with movements of

the entire body. There must be a harmony between them both with the rhythm

and with the character of the music, in addition to a relationship between those

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of each gymnast in group presentations, all of this taken into account by the

judges. Among the main groups of body elements are:

 Jumps: It consists of reaching a flight situation. To be taken into account

as a difficulty, it must have characteristics such as height, fixation of the

shape during flight, good amplitude and be coordinated with mastery of

the apparatus. Some types are the stride (or grand jeté), the corza, the

cossack, the carp, in a circle, the arched, the butterfly or the cabriole.

 Balances: The gymnast adopts a balance position for at least two

seconds, usually standing on one leg and lifting the other. It can be

performed on half pointe (en relevé), flat foot or on different parts of the

body, always maintaining the fixation of the form and coordinated with a

mastery of the apparatus. Some examples are horizontal balance, passé,

grand écart , penché, arabesque, in a circle or attitude.

 Twists: Also called rotations, they can be performed on half pointe, flat

feet, or another part of the body, always having a fixed and wide shape,

and being coordinated with a mastery of apparatus. Generally, there

should be at least a 360º rotation. Some very common ones are on one

leg with the free leg above the horizontal, with the free leg horizontal, or

with the free leg in passé, the last two being able to form fouettés when

the force of the free leg is used as an impulse. to turn.

 Flexibilities and waves: They can be performed with the support of one

foot, two or any other part of the body, and it requires fixation of the form

and be coordinated with mastery of the apparatus. In the 2013 - 2016

Point Code they disappeared as a mandatory group of body difficulty.

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The clothing with which gymnasts compete has evolved over time, from the

simple leotards used in the past, to the most complicated ones of today, which

in international gymnasts come to have thousands of Swarovski crystals

embedded. The jerseys must have characteristics indicated by the

corresponding federation. In both women's and men's rhythmic dresses, they

must not be transparent and the neckline cannot exceed the lower line of the

shoulder blades in the back and the middle of the sternum in the front, and thin

straps are not permitted. As for footwear, the gymnasts step on the mat with toe

caps that are made of leather with two elastic straps to adjust them to the foot.

They can be white or imitation leather. They must be worn neatly, and if they

compete together, normally all members of the team must wear them in the

same way.

The FIG chooses which devices will be used in the exercises based on each

category; only four of the five available devices are selected. In 2011, the rope

was moved in both modalities in the senior category. Depending on the

categories, there are minimum measurements for some devices. The devices

used in rhythmic gymnastics are:

 Rope: Its materials are made of hemp or any other synthetic material, the

length depends on the height of the gymnast; It is measured from the tip

of the foot to the shoulders, folded in half and has knots at the ends as

handles. The ends (not other part of the rope) can be wrapped in a

length of 10 cm as decoration. Technical figures can be made with the

rope taut or loose, with one or both hands , and with or without changing

hands. The relationship between the implement and the gymnast is more

intense than in other cases. Movements that can be performed are:

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 turns, punches, jumps and throwing. Every time the rope touches the

ground there will be a penalty. The possibility of the rope disappearing

from the competition program is currently being discussed, since it is

considered to be the device that has evolved the least in handling over

recent years. However, it is still preserved in several categories, so its

definitive disappearance is not clear.

 Hoop: the material is plastic (it must be made of a rigid material). It

should measure 80 cm to 90 cm inside. The hoop must reach the

gymnast's waist and weigh 300g. It can be smooth or rough. It can be

wrapped (fully or partially) with colored adhesive tape. The ring defines a

space . This space is used to the maximum by the gymnast, who moves

within the circle formed. The execution of the hoop requires frequent

changes of movement, and the main requirement is good coordination of

movements. These movements are: launch, movement and roll.

 Ball: the material is rubber or plastic. It measures 18 to 20 cm and

weighs 400g. The ball is the only implement in which gripping it tightly is

not accepted. This means that a softer and more delicate relationship

between the body and the device is required. The movements of the ball

must be in perfect harmony with the body. The ball should not remain

motionless on the ground, but should be rolling, spinning, etc. The

movements that can be performed with the ball are: rebounds, turns,

figures in the shape of 8, throws, reception with arms, legs, directed and

non-directed rolling, gigantic, retention and sliding.

 Clubs: the material is plastic, rubber or wood. It measures 8 to 5 dm from

one end to the other and weighs 150g. Its parts are: Body (bulging part),

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 neck (thin part) and head (spherical part). The gymnast uses the clubs to

execute spins, turns, throws and as many asymmetrical figures as

possible, combining them with the many figures used in gymnastics

without implements. When hitting the clubs, it should not be done with

force. Exercises with clubs require a highly developed sense of rhythm,

maximum psychomotor coordination and precision. Maces are especially

appropriate for ambidextrous gymnasts. The movements with this device

are: throws with two or one hand, whirls, blows, retention and sliding.

 Ribbon: The material is satin or a non -starched material or similar. It has

a rod called a stylet, which can be made of wood, bamboo, plastic or

fiberglass. In width it measures 4 cm to 6 cm, in length it measures 6 m

and weighs 35g (without the stylet or the union). Its parts are: stylet (rod

that holds the tape), union (the tape is attached to the rod through a

flexible joint made using a thread, a nylon rope, or a series of articulated

rings) and tape (it must be of a single piece). The ribbon is long and

luminous, and can be thrown in all directions. Its function is to create

designs in space. Their flights in the air create images and shapes of all

kinds. The movements that can be performed are: spirals, zigzag,

gigantic and throwing. The end of the tape must always be in motion

throughout the execution of the exercise, without touching the ground

involuntarily.

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 4. CONCLUSIONS

After having deeply analyzed rhythmic gymnastics, I came to the conclusion

that this sport is a beautiful expression of a woman 's way of being, to be able to

develop in her entirety, demonstrating her sensitivity and femininity.

I also managed to understand the reason for its teaching within the Physical

Education class : it is a way of teaching us to develop our own sensitivity and

femininity to grow internally and apply these concepts to different areas of our

life and our professional career.

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 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.academia.edu/32713062/Gimnasia_r%C3%ADtmica

https://es.slideshare.net/moni234/gimnasia-rtmica-pdf

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimnasia_r%C3%ADtmica

https://guiafitness.com/deportes/gimnasia-ritmica

https://www.ecured.cu/Gimnasia_r%C3%ADtmica

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6. ANNEXES

Annex n°1

Gymnast using the rope

Annex n°2

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 Gymnast using the hoop

Annex n°3

Gymnast performing the sliding movement with the ball

Annex n°4

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Gymnast about to start her routine with clubs

Annex 5

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Gymnast using treadmill

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