PARIS: Don't you know your pommel horse by your uneven bars?
AFP Sport takes a look at the sidelines of the artistic gymnastics competition that comes to life at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Men compete on six apparatus: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal/high bar.
For women there are four: vault, uneven bars, beam and floor.
The competition at the Bercy Arena from Saturday to August 5 will be divided into four stages: preliminary, team final, all-around final and apparatus final.
In this weekend's preliminaries, gymnasts compete as part of their country's team or as individuals, with results used to qualify gymnasts for the team finals, all-around and apparatus finals.
Team results are based on the three highest-scoring gymnasts on each apparatus.
The eight highest-scoring nations secure their tickets to the team finals held across all devices.
The top 24 qualifiers (up to two per country) compete for the all-around title, which is again held on all apparatus and is considered gymnastics' blue rebound event.
The apparatus final consists of the eight gymnasts with the highest scores on each apparatus (again with a maximum of two per country).
It's the same for men and women – magic on a 12m by 12m mat, performing full inch spins across the diagonal to music just for women.
Men's equivalent of women's balance beam – emphasis on core and shoulder strength as only hands are allowed to touch the foam and leather-clad horse and two handles.
Only 5.75 meters off the floor, gymnasts need the help of their coaches to tie them. A moment of stillness is accompanied by a show of strength and control like the iron cross: this is when the gymnast holds herself still, with arms stretched out horizontally, feet down, and every muscle straining.
The ultimate test of a gymnast's artistry, ability, athleticism and courage – blink and you'll miss five or six seconds of great performance. The men's vault table is 10 cm higher than the women's. Watch out for American star Simone Biles, who nailed her spectacular signature Biles II Yurchenko double pike vault in practice on Thursday.
Controlled movements up and down bars spaced about head height and shoulder width apart – a stick-like landing is what beady-eyed judges are looking for.
Or the tall pole is what it says on the tin – a frightening height of around 2.78 meters from the ground. Single Metal Bar – Uneven and parallel bars in contrast are made of fiberglass with a wood finish – smaller in diameter than parallel bars and excites fans as the gymnast climbs to the heights above the bar – hopefully she can get a hold of it . after that
This apparatus is for female gymnasts only and consists of two bars of different heights and widths to allow the gymnast to seemingly swing from bar to bar. The top bar is 2.5 m (8.2 ft) off the ground, the bottom bar is 1.7 m. Watch out for Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour, who flaunts the most complex uneven bars routine in her bid to become Africa's first Olympic gymnastics medalist.
The original concept comes from the “grandfather of gymnastics” – Johann Gottsmuth – a German teacher of physical education in the early 19th century. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Olga Korbut stunned fans with her first backflip. At only 10 cm wide, it requires precise precision and nerves of steel. The rectangular beam offers female gymnasts an excellent test of balance, tumbling, jumping and leaping, while at the same time trying not to hit the deck.
Saturday, July 27 – Men's Qualifiers
Sunday, July 28 – Women's Qualifiers
Monday, July 29 – Men's Team Final
Tuesday 30th July – Women's Team Final
Wednesday, July 31 – Men's All-Around Final
Thursday, August 1 – Women's All-Around Final
Saturday, August 3 – Men's floor exercise final; women's vault final; Men's pommel horse final
Sunday, August 4 – Men's Hoops Final; Women's uneven bars final; Men's vault final
Monday, August 5 – Men's Parallel Bars Final. Women's balance beam final; men's horizontal bar finals; Women's floor exercise final
