Gymnastics Equipment: At the Center of Today’s Women’s Events
In 1928, women’s artistic gymnastics became a team event at the Olympics, but it was not until the 1952 Helsinki Games that the full women’s program of all-around and four event finals was established. This is the same format used today. Women perform in four events, the vault, the uneven bars, the floor, and the balance beam, using various pieces of gymnastics equipment. The athlete with the most Olympic medals as of the 2008 Games in Beijing is gymnast Larissa Latynina of the former Soviet Union with a total of 18 medals. Latynina participated in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 games, winning 9 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals and used various gymnastics equipment. Chellsie Memmel and Bridget Sloan will be representing the United States in women’s gymnastics at the 2008 Beijing Games.
admin @ June 26, 2008
