Gymnastics Balance Beam Standards
The gymnastics balance beam is an apparatus that is used by female gymnasts during competitions. Any gymnastics balance beam that is used in a recognized gymnastics competition must conform to the regulations set forth by the International Gymnastics Federations. To conform to these regulations, the gymnastics balance beam must be exactly 125 cm in height, five meters long and ten centimeters wide. Most gymnastics schools will only purchase practice balance beams that meet the International Gymnastics Federations standards to ensure that the gymnasts learn how to perform on the apparatus before the go to a competition. Some schools will also use a balance beam that is set lower to the ground when the gymnasts are learning new maneuvers to prevent injuries.
The level of competition will usually determine the difficulty of a gymnastics balance beam routine. The most difficult types of gymnastics balance beam routines are usually performed at national and international levels with gymnast saving their most difficult routines for events like the Olympics. While each gymnast will have a different performance, there are some aspects of the balance beam routine that will be the same for everyone. The first portion of the balance beam routine is to mount the apparatus. This can be a very simple procedure or very complicated depending on the gymnasts skill level. The gymnast will then perform a routine lasting from one to one and a half minutes. Each gymnast will then have to dismount from the apparatus.When the balance beam was first recognized as an event, the routines that were performed were not very difficult. The original gymnastics balance beam routines were composed of more dancing than tumbling. At the elite level of competition, the most difficult maneuvers that were performed were handstands and the occasional back handspring. It was not until the 1970s that gymnasts began to increase the difficulty level of the event. The two gymnasts the pioneered the more complicated balance beam routines were Nadia Comaneci and Olga Korbut. Once these two competitors began performing high-level aerial skills and tumbling routines, others followed. Another factor that contributed to the higher-level balance beam routines was the transition from a wooden gymnastics balance beam to the current suede covered beams.
admin @ March 12, 2008
