How qualification works:

KEY DATES: ARTISTIC GYM OCTOBER 2010 Qualification for teams began at the World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands JULY 2011 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan JANUARY 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament in Britain

Gymnastics has slightly tweaked its qualification system in between Beijing and London, with world governing body the FIG adding a second Olympic qualifying tournament in early 2012.

The 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam whittled down the team entrants for 2012 - only the top 24 teams from Rotterdam progressed to the next stage of qualifying, which is the next World Championships, in Tokyo in July of 2011.

In Tokyo, the best eight teams of the 24 (for both men and women) will earn the right to compete in the Olympic final. Meanwhile, medallists in Tokyo's individual events will also qualify.

The new qualifying tournament, an Olympic test event in Britain in January 2012, sees the teams ranked ninth to 16th from the 2011 Worlds fighting for four more places in the Olympic team final.

That January tournament will also be the only competition at which individual gymnasts can qualify, other than the Tokyo medallists.

Beth Tweddle has been Britain's leading gymnast for the past decade

How are British competitors doing?

British gymnastics is on the up, with excellent results for both men and women at the 2010 World and European Championships.

Particularly encouraging is the form of both GB's men's and women's teams, who will be keen to seal their Olympic places with strong performances in 2011.

If, as seems unlikely, Britain fails to qualify places at either the 2011 World Championships or 2012 qualifying event, one male and one female gymnast will each receive entry to the Games (whoever ranked highest in the all-around event at the 2011 World Championships).

How qualification works:

KEY DATES: RHYTHMIC GYM SEPTEMBER 2010 Team qualification began at World Championships in Moscow, Russia SEPTEMBER 2011 World Championships in Montpellier, France JANUARY 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament in Britain

The top 15 individual gymnasts from the 2011 World Championships, in the French city of Montpellier, qualify for the Games, with five more being added in the January 2012 test event.

For groups, placing in the top 24 at the 2010 Worlds in Moscow earns a ticket to Montpellier the next year, for the group qualifiers.

Six will go through in Montpellier, with a further four earning a last-minute nod in January 2012.

How are British competitors doing?

Britain has very little rhythmic gymnastics heritage, but a team does exist and GB competitors will be battling to earn a place on the London stage.

It is expected that Britain's rhythmic gymnasts may rely upon their host nation allocation for their presence at London 2012. If so, the regulations guarantee GB one place for their top-ranked gymnast in the all-around event at the 2011 World Championships.

How qualification works:

KEY DATES: RHYTHMIC GYM OCTOBER 2011 European Championships in Birmingham, UK NOVEMBER 2011 World Championships also in Birmingham, UK JANUARY 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament in Britain

The Trampoline World Championships come to Birmingham in 2011 (as do the Europeans), and the top eight competitors will book an Olympic berth there.

After that, five more places can be earned at the test event in January 2012, with three more left over to be awarded at international governing body the FIG's discretion.

How are GB competitors doing?

Kat Driscoll and Bryony Page are among the names to watch for Britain, with Page finishing fourth at the 2010 World Championships.

If qualification is not secured by any other means, Britain's top-ranked gymnast - either male or female, but only one place is available - will go the Games using a host nation wild card, assigned according to performances in qualifying for the 2011 World Championships.

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