Rhythmic gymnastics

Aesthetic gymnastics 's "aesthetic gymnastics" at the Gymnastic Central Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, c. 1910 Rhythmic gymnastics grew out of the ideas of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), François Delsarte (1811–1871), and Rudolf Bode (1881–1970), who all believed in movement expression, where one used to dance to express oneself and exercise various body parts. From 1834, Pehr Henrik Ling further developed this idea in his 19th-century Swedish system of free exercise, which promoted "aesthetic gymnastics", in which students expressed their feelings and emotions through body movement. Swedish-style group gymnastics became increasingly popular for women from the mid-19th century through to the early 20th century. Although sports became associated with masculinity, group gymnastics were performed in indoor, private spaces and focused on correctly performing movements before an instructor, which fit societal ideals for women. Women's gymnastics began to focus on qualities perceived as feminine, such as grace and expressiveness. Ling's ideas were extended by Catharine Beecher, who founded the Western Female Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in 1837. She developed a program where pupils exercised to music, moving from simple calisthenics that could be done in a classroom to more strenuous activities. While she promoted the exercises as being for all children, she emphasized that girls were especially lacking in exercise and that their health suffered for it. Harmonic gymnastics François Delsarte created a system of movement which was focused on creating expressive acting with natural poses, but it became a popular form of women's gymnastics for developing grace. She soon began to perform popular solo dances, and she went on to combine Delsarte's ideas with Ling's and to develop her own gymnastics system. During the 1880s, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze of Switzerland developed eurhythmics, a form of physical training for musicians and dancers. Robert Bode trained at the Dalcroze Eurythmic College and went on to found his own school. George Demeny of France created exercises to music that were designed to promote grace of movement, muscular flexibility, and good posture, and some exercises included apparatuses. The dancer Isadora Duncan was significant in the development of rhythmic gymnastics. The portable apparatus events were only performed as a group and lasted between four and five minutes, much longer than a modern group routine. They were performed to music, and the rules did not specify the apparatuses used, only that each gymnast should have one and that they did not need to be all the same. Rhythmic gymnastics World Gymnastics (abbreviated FIG, as it was previously named the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, or International Gymnastics Federation) formally recognized rhythmic gymnastics as its own discipline in 1962, first as modern gymnastics. Its name was changed to modern rhythmic gymnastics, then again to rhythmic sportive gymnastics, and finally to rhythmic gymnastics. The first World Championships for individual rhythmic gymnasts was held in 1963 in Budapest. Groups were introduced at the same level in 1967 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The FIG first requested that rhythmic gymnastics be added to the Olympics in 1972. It was painted as a more feminine counterpart to women's artistic gymnastics, where increasingly difficult tumbling led to a perceived masculinization of the sport. However, the International Olympic Committee initially refused the request. Rhythmic gymnastics debuted as an Olympic sport at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles with the individual all-around competition. However, many federations from the Eastern Bloc and countries were forced to boycott by the Soviet Union, in a way similar to the boycott forced on many nations by the United States of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. Canadian Lori Fung was the first rhythmic gymnast to earn an Olympic gold medal. The group competition was added to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Spanish group won the first gold medal of the new competition with a group formed by Estela Giménez, Marta Baldó, Nuria Cabanillas, Lorena Guréndez, Estíbaliz Martínez and Tania Lamarca. ==The gymnast==

(bronze), Yulia Barsukova (gold) and Yulia Raskina (silver) at the 2000 Sydney Olympics|alt=Kabaeva, Barsukova, and Raskin wave on the medal podium International competitive rhythmic gymnastics is restricted to female participants. However, men's rhythmic gymnastics has a history in Japan as its own sport that was originally performed by both men and women. In France, men are allowed to participate in lower-level national competitions, while in Spain, there is a national rhythmic gymnastics championships for men and mixed-sex group competitions. A men's program has yet to be formally recognized by the FIG. Gymnasts start at a young age; it is considered an early specialization sport. They become age-eligible to compete in the Olympic Games and other major senior international competitions on January 1 of their 16th year. In the late 90s and early 2000s, Olympic rhythmic gymnasts were on average a year older than Olympic artistic gymnasts, and gymnasts increasingly began to compete through their 20s. The median age of gymnasts competing at the 2021 continental championships was in the late teens, with the African Championships and Oceania Championships skewing slightly younger, while the median ages of event finalists at the European Championships and Pan American Championships were in the early 20s. ==Apparatus==

The hoop, rope, and ball were the first official apparatuses, with the ribbon being added in 1971 and the clubs in 1973. Historically, four out of the five possible apparatuses were selected by the FIG to be used by individual gymnasts each season. Each exercise takes place on a x floor. The floor is carpeted but has no springs, unlike the one used for floor exercise in artistic gymnastics. Replacement apparatuses are placed on two sides of the floor and can be taken to continue the exercise if the gymnast's apparatus becomes unusable or is lost outside the floor area. After 2011, rope began to be transitioned out of the sport, with the FIG saying that it was less visually appealing than the other apparatus. It was removed from the senior individual program, and the most recent usage of rope in the senior program was for the mixed apparatus group exercise in 2017. The FIG planned to drop rope in junior-level individual competition, but it returned in 2015; it was then announced that rope would be used in junior individual competition in some years through at least the 2023–2024 season, but the 2022–2024 Code of Points dropped it again. It continues to be used for junior groups. with a rope|alt=Ferrández stands in a split with the rope held between her hands Since 2011, senior individual gymnasts perform four different routines with hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. This is the case for individual juniors as well since 2020. Senior groups perform two different routines, one with a single apparatus and one with mixed apparatus (for example, a routine with 5 hoops and a routine with 3 balls / 2 ribbons). Junior groups perform two different routines with two different types of apparatus (for example, a routine with 5 hoops and a routine with 5 ribbons). ;Rope: The rope is made from hemp or a similar synthetic material; it can be knotted and have anti-slip material at the ends, but it does not have handles. Rope elements include skipping over the apparatus and wrapping it around the body. It may be made of plastic or wood, and it may be covered with decorative adhesive tape. Hoop elements include rotation of the hoop around the hand or body, rolling the hoop on the body or floor, and the gymnast passing through the hoop. with a ball|alt=Mamun sits with the ball held between her head and raised knees ; Ball: The ball may be made of rubber or a similar synthetic material, and it can be of any color. It should rest in the gymnast's hand and not be pressed against the wrist or grasped with the fingers, which incurs a penalty. Ball elements include bouncing or rolling the ball. ; Clubs: The clubs may be made of wood or synthetic materials, and they may be covered with decorative adhesive tape. They may be connected together by inserting the end of one club into the head of the other. Clubs elements including swinging the heads of the clubs in circles, small throws in which the clubs rotate in the air, and asymmetrical movements. with a ribbon|alt=Stadnik stands in a split and twirls the ribbon ; Ribbon:The ribbon consists of a handle, which may be made of wood, bamboo, or synthetic materials such as fiberglass, and the ribbon itself, which is made of satin. The ribbon is six meters long, and due to its length, it can easily become tangled or knotted. Knots must be undone or the gymnast will be penalized. Ribbon elements consist of making continuous shapes with the length of the fabric, such as tight circles (spirals) or waves (snakes), and elements called boomerangs, in which the gymnast tosses the handle, then pulls it back by the end of the ribbon and catches it. == Elements ==

Elements in rhythmic gymnastics have assigned difficulty values that contribute to the overall difficulty score. They are generally divided into two types: body and apparatus difficulties. New difficulties may be submitted to the technical committee by coaches. Body difficulties Body difficulties are elements performed using the body, with each one having a defined shape. The apparatus must continue to be used during a body difficulty, and gymnasts must perform at least one of each type and generally should not repeat the exact same element during one exercise. The types of body difficulties are: • Jumps/Leaps: Jumps must be high enough to show a well-defined shape in the air. The same leap may be repeated in a series. • Balances: A balance must be held for at least one second. They can be performed alone or in a dynamic balance, in which the gymnast performs at least three balances in combination on the same foot with a turn between each balance. • Rotations: Rotations are turns generally performed either on a flat foot or on relevé, but they can be performed on other parts of the body. • For groups: Exchanges, which are an element where all five gymnasts perform a high, long throw of their apparatus to another gymnast and then catch an apparatus thrown by another gymnast. This can be done simultaneously by the whole group, or one sub-group may perform an exchange before the rest of the gymnasts do so. In addition, gymnasts may perform full body waves, which are a wave of movement through the whole body from the head through the feet or vice versa. Individuals may perform up to four dynamic elements with rotation, which are commonly known as risks. During a risk, the gymnast throws the apparatus high into the air and rotates at least twice underneath it, using either a series of turning leaps or a combination of rolls, turns on the feet, or pre-acrobatic elements such as cartwheels or walkovers, before catching the apparatus. Groups may elect to perform a single risk. File:2018-10-16 Gymnastics at 2018 Summer Youth Olympics – Rhythmic Gymnastics - Ribbon final (Martin Rulsch) 182.jpg|Butterfly jump (Khrystyna Pohranychna) File:Nicol Ruprecht 2016 Olympics Test Event 4.jpg|Split leap (Nicol Ruprecht) File:Ekaterina Volkova 2016 Olympics Test Event 1.jpg|Chest balance (Ekaterina Volkova) File:Laura Jung Rhythmische Gymnastin GER.JPG|Side split balance (Laura Jung) File:Conjunto español 2012 Londres 04.png|Rotation in penché position (Spanish group) File:Boryana Kaleyn 2024 Sofia World Cup Ribbon QF 2.jpg|Rotation done as fouetté turns (Boryana Kaleyn) File:Rhythmic gymnastics at the 2017 Summer Universiade (36386761514).jpg|Simultaneous exchange (Japanese group) File:Stiliana Nikolova 2024 Sofia World Cup risk.webm|A risk performed with several rolls (Stiliana Nikolova) Apparatus difficulties Apparatus difficulties are elements performed with the apparatus. Each apparatus difficulty has either one base element and two or more criteria executed during that base, or the base element of a catch from a high throw combined with a second base element and one or more criteria executed during both bases. A base is a basic movement or usage of the apparatus, such as a large roll of the hoop, and a criterion is a way of performing a movement which makes it more difficult, such as performing it outside of the visual field or without using the hands. The base elements differ somewhat by apparatus, with some bases (such as a high throw) being valid for all apparatuses and others being particular to one apparatus (such as creating a spiral pattern with the ribbon fabric). For groups, apparatus difficulties include collaborations between all five gymnasts, in which each gymnast works with one or more apparatuses and one or more partners. These can include multiple apparatuses being thrown at once or gymnasts lifting another gymnast. Dance steps Another required element is the dance steps combination, which must last for at least eight seconds, have a defined character that matches the music, and be performed without high throws of the apparatus, any apparatus difficulties, or pre-acrobatic elements. Two sets of dance steps are required for each exercise. Unlike the body and apparatus difficulties, they are evaluated as part of the artistry score rather than the difficulty score. ==Scoring system and competition format==

In rhythmic gymnastics, competitive exercises are evaluated by the scoring system defined in the FIG Code of Points. After each Olympic season, the code is modified. Competition format Generally, rhythmic gymnastic meets are generally divided into qualifying rounds and event finals. At some competitions, there is also an all-around final for individuals. The Olympics has qualifying rounds and all-around finals for both individuals and groups, but there are no event finals. In the qualifying round, individual gymnasts compete up to four routines, one for each apparatus; at some competitions, gymnasts may elect to compete only three routines and still qualify for the individual all-around final. Group gymnasts compete two routines, one in which there are five of the same apparatus (such as five balls) and one in which there are two of one apparatus and three of another (such as two hoops and three ribbons). These apparatuses are determined by the FIG for each season. In the all-around, individual gymnasts alternate between competing hoop and ball and then clubs and ribbon, while the groups all perform either their single-apparatus or mixed-apparatus routines during the same competition group. The qualifying round determines who advances to the event final for each apparatus for individuals and for either apparatus combination for groups. There is a maximum of two qualifiers per country for each individual event final. For groups, their total score in the qualifying round determines their all-around placement. This is the case for individuals at some competitions, while at others, there is a separate all-around final round where the top qualifying gymnasts (maximum two per country) compete four routines. The all-around score is the sum of the scores of all routines performed in that round of competition. At some competitions, there is a team ranking for federations with at least two individuals and a group entered. The team score is the sum of the eight qualifying round scores (two per apparatus) earned by the individual gymnasts and the qualifying round all-around score earned by the group. The 1993–1996 code increased the required number of body difficulties to 12 and divided them into four categories of difficulty rather than two. The allowed body difficulties increased to twelve, and the number of flexibility-related difficulties in the code more than doubled from 11 to 24. In the 2022–2024 code, the artistry score was once again re-introduced. The 2025–2028 code reduced the maximum number of difficulties counted in the exercise to give more room for artistic expression and transitions between elements. Some body difficulties were removed and others merged to encourage variety and discourage injuries. Judging issues Judging rhythmic gymnastics in real time is a difficult task. In addition, judges may be affected by fatigue at long competitions or by high temperatures in competition rounds where ribbon routines are being performed; air conditioning is typically turned off during those rounds because it can cause drafts that interfere with the ribbon's movement. At the 2023 World Championships, held in Valencia, Spain, the arena reached . Group judging is especially difficult, as five gymnasts and five apparatuses are in constant, complex motion over a large area. A 2015 study comparing novice, national-level, and international-level judges when judging two group routines found that although the international-level judges performed the best at correctly identifying errors, they only recorded about 40% of errors when they evaluated a routine using normal judging procedures. They made more mistakes when judging the mixed apparatus routine compared to the single-apparatus routine. Judges can be sanctioned if they are found to be giving biased scores; for example, after the scoring at the 2015 World Championships was reviewed, one judge was suspended and another was given a warning, both for national bias. == Attire and music ==

Attire Gymnasts wear leotards to compete, which may be decorated to match the routine as long as they do not have excessive amounts of flesh-colored fabric; group gymnasts must wear identical leotards. Gymnasts may choose to wear long tights under their leotard, wear a leotard with long legs (a unitard) as long as the legs are the same length and color, or wear a short skirt (no longer than the pelvis) over or attached to their leotard or unitard. They may not wear other accessories such as gloves that are not attached to the leotard, except for optionally wearing rhythmic toe shoes. Leotards were originally simple, with decorations such as flowers or sequins not allowed. Tights could be worn starting in 1993. Unitards were introduced as an option. The 1993–1996 code emphasized that gymnasts should interpret and move with the music and that it should not be background noise to the routine. Beginning in 2013, gymnasts could use music with lyrics, but only for one routine. Under the 2017–2021 code of points, individuals could use lyrics with music for two routines. The restriction on music with lyrics was dropped from the 2022–2024 code of points. ==Major competitions==

According to the technical regulations defined by the International Gymnastics Federation, the only official competitions in which rhythmic gymnastics events are contested globally are: the World Championships, the Junior World Championships, the stages of the World Cup series and World Challenge Cup series, and the Olympic Games (as well as the Youth Olympic Games). Test events for the Olympic Games were held in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. The nations which have earned at least one medal in official FIG competitions are: • • • • • • • • '''' • '''' • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • and the FIG World Cup or World Cup Final. While rhythmic gymnastics is not currently part of the World Games program, apparatus finals were competed there from 2001 to 2022. ==Dominant teams and nations==

Rhythmic gymnastics has been dominated by Eastern European countries, especially the Soviet Union (Post-Soviet Republics of today) and Bulgaria. Soviet Union |alt=Shugurova balances with the ball in her hand Before the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Soviet rhythmic gymnasts were engaged in a fierce competition with Bulgaria. The first World Championships held in 1963 in Budapest, Hungary was won by Soviet gymnast Ludmila Savinkova, and in 1967 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the first group championship was won by the USSR. Other Soviet World all-around champions in individuals included Elena Karpuchina, Galima Shugurova and Irina Deriugina. Marina Lobatch became the first Soviet to win the Olympic Games in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 1991, The Unified Team was formed and two Soviet/Ukrainian gymnasts competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona; Olexandra Tymoshenko won gold and Oxana Skaldina won bronze. Bulgaria |alt=Refer to caption The Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation was established in 1963, and in the early days of the sport, most elite gymnasts spent time training in Bulgaria. Neshka Robeva and Kristina Guiourova. The 1980s marked the height of Bulgarian success with a generation of gymnasts known as the Golden Girls of Bulgaria, and Elizabeth Koleva dominating the World Championships. Bianka Panova became the first rhythmic gymnast to make a clean sweep of all five individual events at a World Championship. She became the first rhythmic gymnast to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by earning full marks in all her routines (total of 8) at a World Championship, and she received the trophy personally from the President of the International Olympic Committee at the time, Juan Antonio Samaranch. Bulgarian gymnasts continued to have success into the 1990s, with Mila Marinova winning five medals at the 1991 World Championships and the rise of Maria Petrova, who dominated competition in the mid-1990s to become a three-time World all-around champion and three-time European all-around champion. as well as Boryana Kaleyn, the 2023 European champion and the silver medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Bulgarian group won silver at the first Olympics that included a group event, the 1996 Summer Olympics. Russia |alt=Refer to caption After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia has been the dominant country in rhythmic gymnastics. The start of the late 1990s saw the rise of stars like Amina Zaripova, Yanina Batyrchina and Alina Kabaeva. Oksana Kostina became Russia's first World champion as an independent country. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Yulia Barsukova became the first Russian to win the Olympic gold medal. Alina Kabaeva, who had won bronze in Sydney, went on to win gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics and was noted for her flexibility. Twin sisters Dina Averina and Arina Averina are two of the best rhythmic gymnasts in Russia's history. Dina Averina won multiple World Championship titles, dominating the sport since her senior debut. She secured over 20 gold medals and four all-around titles at the World Championships, making her the most decorated gymnasts in the history of the sport; at the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won the silver medal. Arina Averina achieved significant success, consistently earning medals in major international competitions, including the World and European Championships. The Russian group has won five of the eight group exercises held in the Olympics since it was included in the Olympic Games at the 1996 Summer Olympics by winning every title from 2000 to 2016. she won two bronze medals at the Olympics (2004 and 2008) and almost 30 medals at the World Championships. The Spanish group also won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. On the individual level, the 2022 World champion was the Italian Sofia Raffaeli, who also won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Israel |alt=Ashram showing her Olympic gold medal Israel is a rising nation in rhythmic gymnastics. Israeli head coach Irina Vigdorchik, who moved from Moscow to Israel in 1979, said rhythmic gymnastics had been brought to Israel by Russian immigrants in the early 1970s. The sport began its success in the 2000s with notable Israeli gymnasts including Irina Risenzon and Neta Rivkin, who placed in top ten in the Olympic Games finals. Linoy Ashram was the first Israeli to win the Olympic all-around gold medal; her win was considered an upset over favorite Dina Averina. The Israeli group won their first World all-around title in 2023, and they went on to win the all-around silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Other European nations |alt=Lehmann jumping Germany had early success in the sport, especially from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, with World medalists Ute Lehmann, Carmen Rischer, Christiana Rosenberg, Bianca Dittrich and 1984 Olympic medalist Regina Weber. In 2023, German Darja Varfolomeev won all five individual gold medals at the 2023 World Championships and went on to win the individual all-around at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Czechoslovakia dominated the second World Championships, and their routines there, which combined ballet with whole-body movement, influenced the early direction of the sport. Asia and Americas |alt=Akiyama performing with clubs European countries have been always dominant in this sport: only five World Championships have been held outside Europe so far, one in Cuba, one in the US, and three in Japan, and only five individual gymnasts (Sun Duk Jo, Myong Sim Choi, Mitsuru Hiraguchi, Son Yeon-jae, Kaho Minagawa) and three groups (Japan, North Korea and China) from outside Europe have won medals at the World Championships. However, rhythmic gymnastics is growing in other countries. Japan has a long tradition in group rhythmic gymnastics. Since their first competition in 1971, the Japanese group, known as "Fairy Japan", has never finished lower than 10th (except in 2003, 16th) in the all-around at the World Championships. They won their first World medal in 1975, then won their second in 2017, a bronze in the all-around. In 2019, they won their first World gold medal in the 5 balls apparatus final as well as another silver. Other countries in East Asia have developed world class gymnasts, such as South Korean Son Yeon-jae, who gained popularity in her home country after she finished fifth at the 2012 Summer Olympics and fourth at the 2016 Summer Olympics. China was the first country outside of Europe to medal at the Olympics in the group event (silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics) and was also the first non-European country to win the Olympic title in the group event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although it has not gained as much of a following compared to its artistic gymnastics counterpart in the Americas, it is a rising sport. Beginning in the 1950s, Evelyn Koop, who graduated from the Ernest Idla Institute in Sweden, promoted the sport in the United States and especially in Canada. The first Olympic champion, competing in the absence of most of the dominant Eastern European countries due to the boycott of the 1984 Olympics, was Canadian Lori Fung. == Injuries and health issues ==

Studies on rhythmic gymnastics injuries are complicated by changes in the code of points leading to emphasis on different kinds of elements, making it more difficult to generalize the risks from past studies to current competitors. For example, the 2009–2012 code removed elements that led to knee injuries. The development of muscle strength, agility, and speed in rhythmic gymnasts have also been under-studied. A focus on flexibility training without sufficient strength training can lead to injuries, as can forcing turnout in the feet and over-training. At the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic games, rhythmic gymnasts were injured more often than trampoline gymnasts but less often than artistic gymnasts. Overuse injuries are more common than acute injuries. Gymnasts most frequently report pain and injury in the lower back and lower limbs, such as the hip, knee, or ankle. At the 2013 European Championships, gymnasts were surveyed about pain and compared to a matched group of non-athletes. The gymnasts were more likely to report having pain, with the most frequent reports being of pain in the lumbar spine or ankle; however, they were less likely than the control group to report pain in other areas. When the apparatuses are thrown, they can cause injury if not caught in time; some gymnasts have been hit in the head or eyes. Eating disorders As in other aesthetic sports such as figure skating and artistic gymnastics, body image issues and disordered eating are common. International-level gymnasts are more likely to have disordered eating and low body weight compared to recreational gymnasts. Long limbs and a slender body are considered ideal for the sport, and judges may be biased against those who do not fit this ideal. A study of routines performed at the 2019 Junior World Championships found that a number of elements were performed with spinal hyper-extension, particularly leaps. Gymnasts are more susceptible to spinal issues such as scoliosis as they grow older and train for more years. However, former elite-level gymnasts may not be at increased risk of back pain once they have completed their career, though those who do experience pain report experiencing it earlier and tend to have retired earlier than gymnasts without pain. The risk may also depend on the codes of points the gymnast competed under and the emphasis put on back hyper-extension in elements at the time the gymnast competed. At lower levels of the sport, rhythmic gymnastics training may have a protective effect against back pain. ==Men's rhythmic gymnastics==

performing with Almudena Cid in 2014|alt=Refer to caption Beginning in 2022, the code of points explicitly states that the wording of the rules applies to people of all genders. However, the FIG currently only allows the participation of women in rhythmic gymnastics. The FIG Gender Equality Commission met in spring 2024 to discuss the lack of men at the international level; the FIG secretary general was reprimanded for making discriminatory comments at the meeting. However, two versions of men's rhythmic gymnastics exist outside the governance of the FIG. One developed in Japan and uses a spring floor and a different set of apparatuses, and it was originally competed by both men and women before Western rhythmic gymnastics was brought to Japan. The other began development in Spain and uses the same rules and apparatuses as women's rhythmic gymnastics. and individual events performed using an apparatus (stick, rings, rope, or clubs). Athletes are judged on some of the same physical abilities and skills as their female counterparts, such as hand/body/eye co-ordination, but they are also permitted to perform tumbling. Strength and power are the main focus, as well as apparatus handling, flexibility and movements called "Toshu" ("freehand"). In 2021, it was estimated there are about 1,500 participants in Japan, with small individual programs in other countries such as Canada and Russia, and some former gymnasts have moved to the United States to work for Cirque du Soleil. Proponents of Japanese-style men's rhythmic gymnastics in other countries sometimes emphasize its perceived masculine qualities in contrast with the Spanish or women's version. History Men's rhythmic gymnastics in Japan was originally created by adopting elements from Swedish, Danish, and German gymnastics. It has been taught and performed with the aim of improving physical strength and health as early as the 1940s, and the national intercollegiate competition began in 1949. Currently, men's and women's rhythmic gymnastics are both under the umbrella of the Japan Gymnastics Association, and major competitions for both are often held at the same venue. Scoring For both individuals and groups, points are divided into three scores: difficulty, artistry, and execution. The first score, difficulty, is based on the technical value of the elements performed in the routine. The artistic score is scored out of a maximum of 10 points and is based on harmony between music and movements, use of space, and originality, with deductions for lack of required elements or stepping out of bounds, and so on. Execution is scored out of a maximum of 10 points, based on quality of execution, accuracy of performance, and synchronization, with deductions taken for mistakes or lack of movements in unison, etc. The permitted time for group events is between 2 minutes 15 seconds and 2 minutes 30 seconds. The 2005 Championships also included competitors from Australia, Russia, and Mexico. In 2021, Russia began holding a national men's rhythmic gymnastics championships. Participants in this style of men's rhythmic gymnastics face significant challenges due to gender stereotypes and cultural ideas about what sports are acceptable for men. However, the federation soon announced that there would be a separate category for men using the same rules as the open category. The first year, a dozen gymnasts competed in the men's competition. In 2020, a mixed-gender category was added for groups. However, they may not compete at the highest levels. In a case brought to the Conseil d'État, it was ruled that the lack of a men's category was not discriminatory. ==See also==