Men's Artistic Gymnastic

Men's Artistic Gymnastic (MAG) consists of six apparatus:

Floor Exercise

The entire floor area must be used during the exercise, which consists primarily of tumbling passes performed in different directions. Acrobatic (tumbling) series must be performed, including at least one forward and one backward, all of which cannot be repeated more than one time during the entire routine. There must also be a balance element on one leg or one arm held for two seconds with a minimum of "B" value. Transitional skills, gymnastics movements performed in between tumbling and acrobatic passes, should be executed with proper rhythm and harmony. The exercise must last between 50 to 70 seconds.

Today's floor exercise routines consist of dynamic tumbling skills that only a few years ago were performed solely on the trampoline. The best gymnasts will incorporate tumbling passes with substantial difficulty, performing multiple twisting and flipping saltos at the end of their routines.

The area of the floor exercise mat is 40 feet by 40 feet.

Floor Exercise is Difficult Because: It is one of the most difficult events to arrive at a 10.0 Start Value. The top routines will include tumbling passes consisting of connected bounding skills that have torals of 0.5 points of bonus. It is also possible to achieve large amounts of bonus points by performing connected flair sequences on floor exercise.

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Pommel Horse

Considered by many to be the most difficult of all men's gymnastics events, the pommel horse is also the most subtle. Imagine using the muscles used to hoist yourself up on the kitchen counter, and you'll get the idea of why this event is so tough.

The gymnast must perform an element of value on both ends of the horse, while executing continuous circular movements interrupted only by the required scissors elements. Swinging through the handstand position, with or without turns are allowed. The only part of the body which should touch the apparatus is the hands. The entire exercise should flow with steady, contrilled rhythm. Each move is defined by complex hand placements like skills, which require at least three hand placements on one pommel, another requirement on this event.

The difficulty stems from two factors. First, the gymnasts is performing moves that are dominantly done in a circular movement in a horizontal plane. Second, he spends most of each routine on only one arm, as the free hand reaches for another pommel or part of the horse to begin the next skill.

The pommel horse stands 115 cm tall, and the horse itself is 35cm wide by 160cm long. The pommels must be between 40 to 45 cm apart.

Look for a long series of moves with the hands reaching behind the back. The hand placements should be quick, quiet and rhythmic.

Pommel Horse is Difficult Because: It is the only event where gymnasts do not get to stop or pause during the routine. If gymnasts get in trouble, they must continue moving through the routine while making corrections. Because of the constant movement, that is very difficult to do. Also, many of the skills learned in gymnastics can easily be transferred to other events. With the exception of a circle and a flair circle, that is not the case on this apparatus. Pommel horse requires twice as long to master the basic skills.

There are a couple of places where deductions could be taken that are not apparent to the untrained eye; when performing the scissors requirement, most times the hips are not high enough and the legs are not separated enough; and on many of the handstand dismounts, deductions are taken for not making it completely up to a handstand, or for doing a dismount that is non-commensurate with the rest of the routine.

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Still Rings

The rings are the least stable of the men's apparatus. Stillness and proper body position while performing strength elements is paramount, and those with the best command of the event will display extraordinary skill in arriving at all holds with absolute precision. The rings should remain absolutely still and in control at the end of each skill. The body should be straight with no arching, and arms should be sturdy and strong with no shaking.

The still rings routine must include at least two handstands-one executed with front swing, the other through back swing. At least one element of strength must be held for two seconds.

Examples of strength elements include a cross, an inverted cross or a planche. A cross is performed in a straight body or L position with the body perpendicular to the floor and arms stretched perpendicular to the body, while an inverted cross is executed in an inverted handstand position with arms stretched perpendicular to the body. A planche is a straight body position parallel to the floor above the rings. The rings must remain still throughout the routine. Deductions will be taken for unnecessary swings and instability of all positions.

Today many gymnasts combine strength to swing elements and the reverse for combination bonus points and to achieve the maximum start value for their routine.

The rings are the least stable of the men's apparatus. Stillness and proper body position while performing strength elements is paramount, and those with the best command of the event will display extraordinary skill in arriving at all holds with absolute precision. The rings should be absolutely still and in control at the end of each skill. The body should be straight with no arching, and arms should be sturdy and strong with no shaking.

Look for confidence in the strength elements. The gymnast should move directly into the proper position when performing his cross or planche with control, stop securely for a clear two seconds, and then move easily into the next part. During the swinging elements, watch for stretched body positions and straight handstands.

The rings tower on which the rings are supported stands 575 cm tall. The cable and straps to which the rings are attached are 300 cm long and 50 cm apart. The mats around the still rings, vault and horizontal bar are 18 to 20 cm thick.

Still Rings are Difficult Because: It requires a great deal of upper body strength and it is almost impossible to obtain a high start value without strength moves in the routine. Gymnasts who are not strong fail to score high on this event. Many gymnasts who are very talented, but physically weak, cannot win the all around title due to rings.

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Vault

Quick, explosive and dramatic.

Each individual vault has been assigned its own start value, based on the vault's complexity.

During the pre-flight from the springboard to the horse, the gymnast must demonstrate a rise in the height of his body after pushing off of the horse, travel the minimum distance (2.5 m) and not deviate from the extended axis of the horse. The landing should be firm, without extra steps, and in line with the horse, springboard and runway.

The men's vault stands 135 cm tall. It is 35 cm wide by 160 cm long. The runway is 1 m wide and a maximum of 25m long.

A good vault is sometimes described as a "big" vault. The height, the distance of travel (even though bonus points are no longer awarded for exceptional distance), the overall acceleration into the vault, and the sudden impact of a no-step, suck landing all create a good impression for the judges.

Vault is Difficult Because: Everything happens very quickly, so the gymnast must stay intensely focused and be prepared for the ground when it's time to land. Vaulting requires speed, power and spatial awareness to perform high level vaults correctly.

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Parallel Bars

A parallel bar routine consists of predominantly swing and flight elements. Strength parts may be used, although they are not required and the gymnast should make sure that there are no more than three stops or hold parts during the routine. The gymnast is required to execute two swinging elements, one in support and one from a hang. The gymnast is also required to perform a skill in which both hands release and regrasp the bars, commonly referred to as a release move.

Although not a requirement, some of the better gymnast move outside the two rails, performing handstands and kips on only one bar. When well executed, these movements mark a good performance. The most difficult skills require the gymnast to lose sight of the bars for a moment, as in double front and back saltos. The more of these skills performed in succession (but not repeating a skill more than one time), the more challenging the routine and more bonus points will be given.

The parallel bars stand 195 cm high. Each bar is 350 cm long, and the two bars can be adjusted to between 42 and 52 cm apart.

Parallel Bars are Difficult Because: It requires a great deal of hand-eye coordination, timing and balance. Many skills require coordinating execution with the flex of the bars. Losing sight of the bars makes it very difficult to re-grasp the bars and continue into the next swing skill.

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Horizontal Bar

The most crowd-pleasing and spectacular of all the events, the horizontal bar consists of swings, release moves and high-flying dismounts.

Routines should contain of swinging parts without stops. The parts are generally call giant swings, with more specific terms applying to changes in grip, direction and body position.

The gymnast is required to execute at least one move in which he releases and regrasps the bar (release move), and to perform at least one element passing through the lower vertical with both hands in el-grip or in a rear ways hang; a dorsal hang position used in inverted and German giant swings or with an eagle grip in which the wrists are rolled outward until the thumbs are on the outside of the grip, pointing away from each other.

The gymnast is also required to perform an in-bar skill like a stalder circle. The higher level routine will have multiple release moves. Gymnasts receive bonus points for connecting higher level difficulty skills. Look for high flying dismounts with multiple somersaults and twists.

Standing 275 cm tall, the horizontal bar is 240 cm long and 2.8 cm in diameter. The horizontal bar is commonly referred to as the high bar.

Horizontal Bar is Difficult Because: Gymnasts must perform very difficult release moves that have a small margin of error. Many of the release moves can occur 10-12 feet over the bar, requiring a fearless and aggressive effort. A missed release move can mean losing the all-around title, not winning an individual event medal or not making "the team".