Winds of Change for 100 Years of World Gymnastics Championships

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, August 16, 2003

Winds of Change for 100 Years of World Gymnastics Championships

In its history of 100 years, the world gymnastics championships has been through winds of changes and evolved into one of the premier sports meets, a far cry from the sport's initial contests.

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In its history of 100 years, the world gymnastics championships has been through winds of changes and evolved into one of the premier sports meets, a far cry from the sport's initial contests.

Imaging Nadia Comaneci dismounting from the uneven bars then diving into a swimming pool to compete in the 100m freestyle, or Svetlana Khorkina running the 100m along the track.

If these gymnastics stars competed in the early 1900s, there's a good chance sports fans would see athletes in this unusual lineup of "gymnastics" events.

The antiquated events of the world gymnastics championships include rope climb and Indian clubs, along with swimming, running,long jump and high jump. And many competitions were held on the infield of outdoor track stadiums.

These early events became a test of the all-around sportsman rather than of the all-around gymnasts.

The first world gymnastics championships was in the Velodrome du Sud in Antwerp from August 14-18, 1903 with the participation of four nations, namely Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The official title of the world gymnastics championships was not used until 1934 when women first competed in the worlds in Budapest in the all-around, team and individual events, and in the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki.

Gymnastics as we know it today was never part of the Ancient Olympic Games, rather it was regarded as training for other sports,particularly athletics and wrestling, the two principal events of the ancient Games.

When the Roman Empire succeeded the Greeks, gymnastics began to be used for military training. Among the apparatus the Romans introduced was the wooden horse. Mounting and dismounting were considered desired military skills, especially by members of the cavalry. Ancient Romans would surely be a bit puzzled if they could see the new vaulting horse that was introduced in 2001.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), was created in 1881, but was originally called the European Gymnastics Federation and only changed its name in 1921 with the inclusion of the United States in its membership.

��Therefore, the FIG is the oldest of all international sports federations, even older than the International Olympic Committee.

��In the FIG's early days, some of its members were opposed to international competition. "My idea is always the same," said Nicolas J. Cuperus, the FIG's first president, "and I look forward to the time when competitions will be unnecessary, the gymnastics receiving the exact amount of health, strength and agility and endurance as the only rewards for their effort."

Though the past century, the format of competitions has been changed time and again, from twice a year in 1905 to a four-year interval from 1922 to 1978. In 1979, the FIG voted to a two-year format to give the national federations a better way to coordinate their programs with the Olympics.

Today, the world championships is conducted annually, except in the year of the Olympic Games. The format for the worlds was changed in 1991 again to alternate among an event finals only format, a team and all-around format and the Olympic Games format (team, all-around and event finals).

The 2003 event in Anaheim, California, will be the Olympic format, which also serves as an Olympic qualifier.

It is interesting to note that the rings was dropped from the worlds program in 1905, but returned in 1909. If officials had not decided to keep the event, which has grown into one of the prime focal points in the men's gymnastics, the rings might not be around today.

Swimming was dropped after the 1922 worlds, "group exercises" where groups of gymnasts performed routines in synchronization, were eliminated in 1926, and track and field events were discontinued in 1954.

This modern structure of the sport became more apparent as artistic gymnastics began to form. By 1949, the FIG created its "Code of Points" which serves as the sport's official rulebook, and a basic structure and format for judging and scoring has been established.

The only obstacle for the worlds has been the World War I and World War II when all competitions were cancelled from 1915-1921, and from 1942 to 1946.

A resurgence of international gymnastics occurred after World War II when 12 teams competed in Basel, Switzerland in 1950, comparing to six prior to World War I.

Today, there are 128 members of the FIG, including new associate members of Chinese Macao, Malta, and affiliate members of Burundi, Qatar and Jamaica.

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