Artistic gymnastics is a popular discipline of gymnastics. It is a competitive sport and an Olympic sport. Gymnastics have been a part of the modern Olympic movement since the beginning. This popular spectator sport was also a part of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Gymnastics originated in ancient Greece. Initially, Gymnastics was practiced only in the European countries. But gradually it spread to other parts of the world as well. It was regarded as a very effective form of physical culture.  

The practice of Gymnastics requires supreme levels of physical fitness. Flexibility and muscle tone too are essential. In Artistic gymnastics, the participants take part in routines on various apparatus. The routines are generally of short duration. Artistic Gymnastics is a good mixture of flexibility and strength with visually appealing routines of grace and style. Artistic Gymnastics provides the necessary style to the Summer Olympics with the breath taking routines performed by the gymnasts. The gymnasts enthrall the spectators with their impossible-looking acrobatic stunts. The Olympic Artistic Gymnastics events are held on slightly different apparatus for men and women. Men’s Artistic Gymnastics disciplines include routines on pommel horse, floor exercises, horizontal bars, rings, parallel bars and vault. Women’s Artistic Gymnastic events include floor exercises, uneven bars, vault, and balance beam.

The governing body of Gymnastics has been Federation Internationale de Gymnastique or FIG since the year 1881. Initially, it was a European organization. Currently, it is global organization governing world gymnastics. The FIG controls three Olympic disciplines—Trampoline, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Artistic Gymnastics. Technical committees are set up of six members and a President. This committee oversees the respective discipline. The Olympic Games and the World Gymnastics Championships are the two of the most prestigious tournaments for the gymnasts from all around the globe. There are also regional tournaments like All-Africa Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, and European Championships to enable the gymnasts to prove their regional supremacy.

Soviet Union had been a dominant force in world gymnastics for many decades before its break up in 1991. They exhibited their supremacy in both men’s and women’s events. The majority of the Soviet gymnastics champions were from Russia and Ukraine. Romania too has produced world class gymnasts including Nadia Comaneci, who stunned the gymnastics world with a score of perfect 10 in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She repeated the feat as many as 7 times in the same Olympics. The USA too has been consistently producing champion gymnasts since the 70’s of the last century and is still a dominant force in world gymnastics. Over the years, China too has emerged as a country capable of producing world class gymnasts. German and Japanese gymnasts have also won many medals in the championships worldwide.