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When was gymnastics invented
Basic Info
Gymnastics was invented in ancient Greece and originated in the 8th century BC. The ancient Greeks developed a complex body training system by imitating the movements and combat techniques of animals, which was used to enhance military and competitive abilities. Gymnastics was originally used as a military training method and gradually evolved into a competitive sport. The Olympic Games in ancient Greece were an important stage for gymnastics, and gymnastics became one of the traditional events of the Olympics. Over time, gymnastics has gradually developed into a comprehensive sport, including multiple events such as floor exercise, instrument exercise, and artistic gymnastics. Modern gymnastics is widely popularized and developed globally, becoming a popular competitive sport.
Since the establishment of the modern Olympic Games, gymnastics has been an important competition. Athletes compete in events such as vault, rings, and parallel bars. At the competition venue of the 1908 London Olympics, a Danish gymnast jumped off a horse perfectly.
Gymnastics can be traced back to ancient Greece, but the rise of modern gymnastics stems from nationalism - from the Napoleonic Wars to the Soviet era.
Naked men exercise in open-air squares; The robust bodyguard at Abraham Lincoln's inauguration ceremony; The young man with a short stature leaps up and completes a dazzling series of flips and jumps - these seemingly unrelated scenes are actually part of the history of gymnastics.
Led by athletes such as Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura, this sport has become one of the most popular events at the Olympics. In fact, the competition is not always about the uneven bars and balance beam, and early events also included rope climbing and swing. But one thing has never changed: in the evolution from ancient Greek tradition to modern Olympic sports, gymnastics has always been closely linked to national pride and identity.
Ancient Greek athletes usually practiced gymnastics techniques naked. These early gymnasts were exercising for the war.
This sport originated in ancient Greece: young men had to undergo high-intensity physical and mental training to cope with war. The term gymnastics originates from the Greek word "gymnos", which means "naked"; This is because young people are naked in various training activities such as floor exercises, weightlifting, and running.
For Greeks, exercise and learning are closely linked. According to sports historian R According to Scott Kretchmar, the gymnasium where Greek young people receive training is a "center of academia and exploration," a community center where young people receive sports and intellectual education. In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote, "Physical education must precede ideological education.".
But as we know today, gymnastics also came from another aspect: rationalism and intense debate in 18th and 19th century Europe. Like ancient Greece, physical health was considered an integral part of citizenship and patriotism. The popular gymnastics groups of that era combined these three together.
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a former Prussian soldier known as the "father of gymnastics," received a sense of national pride and educational values from the Enlightenment era. After Prussia was invaded by France, Jahn regarded the failure of the Germans as a national shame. In order to boost the morale of the Chinese people and unite young people, he began to devote himself to physical training. Jahn invented a gymnastics system called "Turnen" and brought new equipment to students, including parallel bars, horizontal bars, balance beams, and vault.
Jahn invented a gymnastics system including vault and balance beam, and his followers performed at gymnastics festivals across the country. The above picture shows the Cologne Gymnastics Festival in 1928, where girls from Hanover Sports School are performing.
At the gymnastics festival, they exchange ideas, participate in competitions, and discuss politics. For many years, they have brought their philosophy, education, and fitness concepts to the United States, and gymnastics clubs have become important community centers in the country.
Gymnastics practitioners have also become a political force in the United States. Due to opposition to the German monarchy and a desire for freedom, many people left their homeland. Therefore, some gymnastics practitioners became staunch abolitionists and supporters of Abraham Lincoln. At his first inauguration, President Lincoln was protected by two groups of gymnasts, who even formed their own legion within the federal army.
Meanwhile, in the mid-19th century, another European group advocating physical training emerged in Prague. Like gymnasts, Sokol Sports is also composed of nationalists who believe that large-scale group aerobics can unite the Czech people. Sokol became the most popular organization in Czechoslovakia, with sports including parallel bars, horizontal bars, and floor exercises.
With the increasing popularity of gymnastics practitioners and Sokol, gymnastics is becoming increasingly popular. In 1881, the international community became increasingly interested in this sport, and the International Gymnastics Federation emerged.
During the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, gymnastics was prominently listed among the mandatory events listed by its founder, Pierre de Coubertin. 71 male athletes competed in 8 gymnastics events, including rope climbing. As expected, Germany swept the medal table and won a total of 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals. Greece and Switzerland won 6 and 3 medals respectively, ranking second and third.
In the following years, gymnastics became a clear sport with standardized scoring and competition events. It is mainly divided into two parts: competitive gymnastics, including vault, uneven bars, balance beam, Pommeled Horse, rings, parallel bars, horizontal bars and floor exercise; Artistic gymnastics allows athletes to use instruments such as circles, balls, and ribbons. In 1928, women's events first appeared in the Olympic Gymnastics competition.
Today, Simone Biles from the United States is the gymnast with the most medals in history. Her outstanding performance is awe inspiring, and a sense of national pride arises naturally. This was her competition scene at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. She won a total of 4 gold medals and 1 bronze medal this time.
When realizing that a group of star athletes had been training behind the Iron Curtain, the international audience turned their attention to people like Nadia Com ă neci. In 1976, this Romanian athlete achieved her first perfect score of 10 in women's gymnastics history, shocking the world. At its peak, Eastern European countries won 99% of Olympic medals in women's competitive gymnastics events; As Western countries began to invest in this movement, a new round of nationalist struggles began.
In many ways, the Olympics are a stage of Cold War confrontation. In 1980, the United States and 65 other countries boycotted the Summer Olympics in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As retaliation, the Soviet Union refused to participate in the 1984 Olympics, giving the US Olympic gymnastics team a chance. That year, the US men's gymnastics team won their first Olympic gold medal, Mary Lou Retton won their first individual all-around gold medal, and the US also won gold medals in some other gymnastics events.
Since then, the United States and Soviet countries have been competing. So far, Russia has secured the top spot on the gymnastics medal table with 182 medals; The United States ranks second with 114.
There is also a scandal issue. There have been rumors that the Soviet and Russian governments have approved the use of stimulants. There is evidence to suggest that Russian athletes do not comply with doping regulations, so Russia will be banned from participating in the Olympics until 2022.
In 2016, Larry Nassar, a team doctor from the American Gymnastics Association, a management agency for American gymnasts, was charged with sexually assaulting a child. In the following months, a scandal uncovered the behind the scenes world of gymnastics, which was filled with verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and suppression. In 2017, more than 150 gymnasts testified at the verdict hearing, and Nassar was ultimately sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.
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Gymnastics can be traced back to ancient Greece, but the rise of modern gymnastics stems from nationalism - from the Napoleonic Wars to the Soviet era.
Naked men exercise in open-air squares; The robust bodyguard at Abraham Lincoln's inauguration ceremony; The young man with a short stature leaps up and completes a dazzling series of flips and jumps - these seemingly unrelated scenes are actually part of the history of gymnastics.
Led by athletes such as Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura, this sport has become one of the most popular events at the Olympics. In fact, the competition is not always about the uneven bars and balance beam, and early events also included rope climbing and swing. But one thing has never changed: in the evolution from ancient Greek tradition to modern Olympic sports, gymnastics has always been closely linked to national pride and identity.
Ancient Greek athletes usually practiced gymnastics techniques naked. These early gymnasts were exercising for the war.
Children's Combination Gymnastics Parallel Bars
The Origin of Gymnastics
After Prussia was defeated by Napoleon, former Prussian soldier Friedrich Ludwig Jahn became disheartened and invented a form of gymnastics called "Turnen". He believes that this can restore the strength of his fellow countrymen.This sport originated in ancient Greece: young men had to undergo high-intensity physical and mental training to cope with war. The term gymnastics originates from the Greek word "gymnos", which means "naked"; This is because young people are naked in various training activities such as floor exercises, weightlifting, and running.
For Greeks, exercise and learning are closely linked. According to sports historian R According to Scott Kretchmar, the gymnasium where Greek young people receive training is a "center of academia and exploration," a community center where young people receive sports and intellectual education. In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote, "Physical education must precede ideological education.".
But as we know today, gymnastics also came from another aspect: rationalism and intense debate in 18th and 19th century Europe. Like ancient Greece, physical health was considered an integral part of citizenship and patriotism. The popular gymnastics groups of that era combined these three together.
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a former Prussian soldier known as the "father of gymnastics," received a sense of national pride and educational values from the Enlightenment era. After Prussia was invaded by France, Jahn regarded the failure of the Germans as a national shame. In order to boost the morale of the Chinese people and unite young people, he began to devote himself to physical training. Jahn invented a gymnastics system called "Turnen" and brought new equipment to students, including parallel bars, horizontal bars, balance beams, and vault.
Jahn invented a gymnastics system including vault and balance beam, and his followers performed at gymnastics festivals across the country. The above picture shows the Cologne Gymnastics Festival in 1928, where girls from Hanover Sports School are performing.
Nationalism and the Rise of Gymnastics
In the early 19th century, Jahn's followers, known as Gymnastics Practitioners (Turners), practiced movements similar to modern gymnastics in cities across Germany. They test their skills through balance beam, Pommeled Horse, ladder climbing, rings, long jump and other activities, as well as group gymnastics.At the gymnastics festival, they exchange ideas, participate in competitions, and discuss politics. For many years, they have brought their philosophy, education, and fitness concepts to the United States, and gymnastics clubs have become important community centers in the country.
Gymnastics practitioners have also become a political force in the United States. Due to opposition to the German monarchy and a desire for freedom, many people left their homeland. Therefore, some gymnastics practitioners became staunch abolitionists and supporters of Abraham Lincoln. At his first inauguration, President Lincoln was protected by two groups of gymnasts, who even formed their own legion within the federal army.
Meanwhile, in the mid-19th century, another European group advocating physical training emerged in Prague. Like gymnasts, Sokol Sports is also composed of nationalists who believe that large-scale group aerobics can unite the Czech people. Sokol became the most popular organization in Czechoslovakia, with sports including parallel bars, horizontal bars, and floor exercises.
Gymnastics at the Olympics
At the 1976 Olympics, Nadia Com ă neci of Romania was the first female gymnast to score a perfect 10 points. This 14-year-old athlete jumps in a balance beam competition, lifting one foot high.With the increasing popularity of gymnastics practitioners and Sokol, gymnastics is becoming increasingly popular. In 1881, the international community became increasingly interested in this sport, and the International Gymnastics Federation emerged.
During the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, gymnastics was prominently listed among the mandatory events listed by its founder, Pierre de Coubertin. 71 male athletes competed in 8 gymnastics events, including rope climbing. As expected, Germany swept the medal table and won a total of 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals. Greece and Switzerland won 6 and 3 medals respectively, ranking second and third.
In the following years, gymnastics became a clear sport with standardized scoring and competition events. It is mainly divided into two parts: competitive gymnastics, including vault, uneven bars, balance beam, Pommeled Horse, rings, parallel bars, horizontal bars and floor exercise; Artistic gymnastics allows athletes to use instruments such as circles, balls, and ribbons. In 1928, women's events first appeared in the Olympic Gymnastics competition.
Today, Simone Biles from the United States is the gymnast with the most medals in history. Her outstanding performance is awe inspiring, and a sense of national pride arises naturally. This was her competition scene at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. She won a total of 4 gold medals and 1 bronze medal this time.
Cold War confrontation
However, in the mid-20th century, Olympic Gymnastics began to decline, and officials suggested reducing the scale of the competition, or even cutting off team competitions. As the Cold War escalated, the Soviet Union saw an opportunity in this seemingly inactive movement. Due to the lack of strong Western competitors, the Soviet Union believed they could secure a victory and began investing in gymnastics.When realizing that a group of star athletes had been training behind the Iron Curtain, the international audience turned their attention to people like Nadia Com ă neci. In 1976, this Romanian athlete achieved her first perfect score of 10 in women's gymnastics history, shocking the world. At its peak, Eastern European countries won 99% of Olympic medals in women's competitive gymnastics events; As Western countries began to invest in this movement, a new round of nationalist struggles began.
In many ways, the Olympics are a stage of Cold War confrontation. In 1980, the United States and 65 other countries boycotted the Summer Olympics in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As retaliation, the Soviet Union refused to participate in the 1984 Olympics, giving the US Olympic gymnastics team a chance. That year, the US men's gymnastics team won their first Olympic gold medal, Mary Lou Retton won their first individual all-around gold medal, and the US also won gold medals in some other gymnastics events.
Since then, the United States and Soviet countries have been competing. So far, Russia has secured the top spot on the gymnastics medal table with 182 medals; The United States ranks second with 114.
Scandal
Gymnastics encourage national unity and promote physical perfection, but this has cost athletes a heavy price. This sport is highly praised for its discipline, but it has also led to abusive training methods, and has been criticized for favoring younger contestants.There is also a scandal issue. There have been rumors that the Soviet and Russian governments have approved the use of stimulants. There is evidence to suggest that Russian athletes do not comply with doping regulations, so Russia will be banned from participating in the Olympics until 2022.
In 2016, Larry Nassar, a team doctor from the American Gymnastics Association, a management agency for American gymnasts, was charged with sexually assaulting a child. In the following months, a scandal uncovered the behind the scenes world of gymnastics, which was filled with verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and suppression. In 2017, more than 150 gymnasts testified at the verdict hearing, and Nassar was ultimately sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.
Heritage
Gymnastics is no longer a part of a political movement that broadly supports nationalism and social unity. But its popularity and role in inspiring national pride are still ongoing. David Clay Large, Senior Researcher in Foreign Policy at the European Studies Center at the University of California, Berkeley, said that ultimately, this is where the significance of the Olympics lies."The reason why these so-called celebrations of world unity are successful is because people are obsessed with what they want to surpass: the world's most basic tribal consciousness instinct," he wrote. "The ideological hatred during the Cold War may have faded, but it is clear that nationalism did not."
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