Gymnastics – Trampoline

Trampoline is one of the three disciplines of the Olympic sport of Gymnastics.

Did you know?

A total of 324 gymnasts will compete in the three disciplines in the Olympic sport of Gymnastics – Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

The inventors of the trampoline envisaged it being used in a variety of new games. Spaceball, for example, feature two teams of two on a single trampoline with specially constructed end walls attempted to propel a ball through a middle wall, to hit a target on the other side’s end wall.

The trampoline is 5.05 metres long, 2.91m wide and 1.155m high. The spring ‘bed’ is made from nylon or string material and is only about six millimetres thick.

The word ‘Gymnastics’ comes from the Greek for ‘naked’ – early gymnasts used to perform without any clothes.

Key facts

Venue: North Greenwich Arena
Dates: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 August
Gold medals up for grabs: 2
Athletes: 32 (16 men, 16 women)

Trampoline: a history of the sport

The first modern trampoline was built in 1934 at the University of Iowa to help train tumblers and gymnasts. It was also used as a tool to help athletes in other sports improve their acrobatic skills.

People enjoyed the sensation so much, they began to trampoline for sheer fun, and it became popular in its own right.

For more information on the history of the games visit the IOC website.

Trampoline at the Olympic Games

Trampoline is the newest Gymnastics discipline at the Games, making its debut at Sydney 2000.

How the competition runs

Gymnasts compete on a elastic ‘bed’ that can launch them 10m in the air. They perform a series of 10 judged elements each containing multiple somersaults and twists. Individual competitions are held for both men and women.

Jargon buster

• Adolph: A front somersault with 3½ twists in Trampoline.
• Barani: A forward somersault with a half-twist. 
• Quadriffis: Any quadruple somersault with a twist.
• Rudolph: A front somersault with 1½ twists; also known as a ‘Rudy’.

 

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~ by superbowlnyc on February 17, 2011.