Rhythmic Gymnastics

By A Mystery Man Writer

This year marks the twentieth year that Rhythmic Gymnastics has been included in the Olympic Games. With the Rio Olympic Games 2016 fast approaching, Beemat takes a look below at the role of Rhythmic Gymnastics and its current status in the Olympic programme. What is Rhythmic Gymnastics? Rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport in which individual or groups of gymnasts perform on a floor accompanied by music using apparatus to include a hoop, ball, ribbon, rope, clubs and freehand (no apparatus). The sport combines elements of ballet, gymnastics and dance and each movement requires a high level of athletic skill as well as physical abilities such as strength, power, flexibility, agility, dexterity, endurance and hand-eye co-ordination. Rhythmic Group Gymnastics is performed by teams of five or more and includes a mixture of intricate routines using multiple apparatus at the same time.