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Acrobats entertained Egyptian nobility about 7,000 years ago and, judging by ancient frescoes, acrobats vaulted over the backs of bulls on the island of Crete when the Minoan civilization flourished, beginning about 2,700 BC.
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The wooden horse was a Roman innovation, used to train soldiers to mount and dismount quickly. However, the Romans had little interest in sport for sport's sake, and the Greek practice of nude exercise was viewed with distaste, as leading to the vice of homosexuality.
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The term "gymnastics" derives from the Greek word for naked "gymnos". In ancient Greece, male athletes trained and competed in the nude. Physical training took place in the palestra, a square, walled, open-air area equipped with changing rooms and baths. Activities included running, jumping, weightlifting, throwing, wrestling, and swimming, all classified as gymnastics.
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Modern gymnastics began with the work of Johann Friedrich GutsMuths (1759-1839) from Germany, who developed a complete program of exercises designed to improve balance and suppleness as well as muscular strength. His follower - a gymnastics teacher Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852) believed, that turnen was an old Teutonic word that meant doing gymnastics, and he adopted it in place of Gymnastik
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Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852)Jahn developed three types of apparatus that are still used in gymnastics: the high bar, parallel bars, and rings. He also created the forerunner of the balance beam, in form of a long pine log suspended on supports.
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Another of GutsMuths' disciples was Franz Nachtegall, who founded a private gymnasium in Copenhagen in 1799. The Crown Prince of Denmark felt that gymnastics would be useful for military training. He created the Military Gymnastic Institute in 1804 and appointed Nachtegall its director.
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The leotard was invented by Jules Le'otard
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In 1830s, the sport of gymnastics was introduced to United States and its school systems by such immigrants as Charles Beck, Charles Follen and Franci s Lieber
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Gymnastics spread through Europe primarily as physical training for the military. In France, Francisco Amoros founded the Ecole de Joinville for military training in 1852.
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The European Gymnastics Federation FEG (Fédération Européenne de Gymnastique), which included representatives from Belgium, France and the Netherlands was founded on July 23, 1881 in Liège and Nicolas J. Cupérus was named a President
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In 1881 the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was formed, later was renamed to Bureau of the European Gymnastics Federation. This organization pioneered the international competition. The Amature Athletic Union (AAU) was formed in United Sta tes in 1883. Along with other amature spotts in United States, this organization took over the control of the gymnastics in U.S. Various "championships" started to develop by various clubs and organizations at about the same time during 1880s.
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The first large-scale competition was the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece. There Germany have been the dominant team by almost sweeping every medal. Five countries have participapted in this event. Men's competitions included horizontal bar, parall el bars, pommel horse, rings, and vault.
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During 1924 Olympics in France marked the begining of what they are today. In gymnastics, men started to compete for individual Olympic titles in each gymnastic event.
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The first women competed in artistic gymnastics in the 1928 olympics.
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By ninth World Championship in 1930 at Luxembourg, the gymnastic competition included track and field events such as pole vault, broad jump, shot put, rope climb, and 100-meter dash.
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The first U.S. women's gymnastic team competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany
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large groups of women competed in 1908 and 1912). . It was not until 1952 that individual apparatus was used at the Games.
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Track and field events started to disappear from gy mnastics events, such as World Championships. They fully disappeared from the sport of gymnastics by 1954 World Championships.
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In 1962, rhythmic gymnastics were recognized as a sport by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
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In 1963 in Budapest, Hungary, the first Rhythmic World Championship took place. It included 28 athlets from 10 countries. US not included
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In 1970, the United States Gymnastics Federartion, now formally known as USA Gymnastics, was organized and became the govering body on this sport in the U.S. It is still exist today.
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n 1973, the United States joined the sport of rhythmic gymnastics during the Rhythmic World Championships
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Nadia Comaneci, from Romania in the 1976 summer olympics get's the first perfect score in a Gymnastic Olympic Event.
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The US men's team won gold
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Rhythmic Gymnastics was not introduced until 1984 .
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Gymnastic Grips were made.
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Kerri Strug stuck her second vault after injuring her ankle on her first one. US gymnast, wins gold!
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Trampolining events were added at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. This date is an approximation
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The FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) decreased the team size to allow for more individual competitors. There were seven members in 1996 and six in 2004 and 2008.
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The U.S. women's gymnastics team won its second gold medal ever.
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American gymnast Gabby Douglas has won her second Olympic gold medal of the London Summer Games, winning the individual all-around event to match her performance anchoring the U.S. team's first-place performance earlier that week.
