the balance beam
the wooden bar on which the gymnasts balance and perform movements; also the name of the competition itself
the rings
two round handles at the ends of two long ropes which hang from the ceiling and which gymnasts grip while performing movements; also the name of the competition itself
the floor routine
a set of choreographed movements performed by a gymnast on the floor and given marks by judges who watch
choreography the skill of combining movements into routines or dances which are performed
the horizontal bar a high bar about 2.5 metres (i.e. eight feet) above the ground, which a gymnast holds on to with her or his hands while performing swinging manoeuvres; also the name of the competition itself
the parallel bars a pair of usually wooden bars supported horizontally above the floor at the same height and used in gymnastics; also the name of the competition itself
the pommel horse
a padded rectangular or cylindrical form normally on wooden legs with two u-shaped handles (i.e. pommels) on the top, which a gymnast holds on to with her or his hands while performing movements; also the name of the competition itself
the uneven bars
a pair of usually wooden bars supported horizontally above the floor at different heights and used in gymnastics; also the name of the competition itself
the vault
formerly known as 'the horse', an apparatus with a padded top towards which a gymnast runs before placing both hands on it and performing an acrobatic manoeuvre in the air followed by a controlled landing; also the name of the competition itself
disciplines
different competitions within a sport, for example the vault and the rings in gymnastics
Gymnastics vocabulary (pdf - 32 K)
Instructions