Monday, February 14, 2011

London 2012 Olympics: trampoline gymnastics guide

London 2012 Olympics: trampoline gymnastics guide

London 2012 Olympics: trampoline gymnastics guide

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 12:04 PM PST

Athletes, who must be a minimum of 18 years old, compete in a qualifying round that consists of both compulsory and option routines. The top eight advance to the final, which is a single, optional routine.

The compulsory routine must contain a prescribed set of skills, performed in the correct order, while optional routines must contain 10 recognised skills. There is no time limit on performing the routines.

At the end of the performance, the trampolinist should finish in an upright position with both feet on the trampoline bed.

There are nine judges during the Olympic competition. Five awards points for execution, two score the degree of difficulty and two oversee the contest. The highest and lowest execution scores are dropped and the three remaining scores are added to the single difficulty rating.

Events / disciplines:

Men's trampoline
Women's trampoline

Gold medals available: 2

Schedule:
Aug 3 - Aug 4

Venue:
North Greenwich Arena (O2)

How many medals targeted by Team GB?

None.

Where are the chances?

British trampolinists are on an upward trajectory, with a string of impressive results at World Cup events and a highly promising fourth place at the 2010 World Championships from Bryony Page. An Olympic medal is still a long-shot, but home advantage could make all the difference.

Key issue internationally?

Chinese domination. Having won both gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Chinese trampolinists have started to monopolise the major medals at international competitions.

Biggest challenge domestically?

The sport is growing in popularity but, as with artistic gymnastics, there are not enough clubs to cope with the demand.

Brits to watch?

James Higgins, Bryony Page, Kat Driscoll, Amanda Parker, Emma Smith.

Biggest international rivals?
He Wenna (China), Li Dan (China), Dong Dong (China).

Jargon:
Barani: Forward somersault with a half-twist.

Randolph: Front somersault with 2.5 twists. Also known as a "Randy".

Optionals: Moves chosen by the athlete to show off their skills, often with a high degree of difficulty.

Legends:
Alexander Moskalenko (Russia), Karen Cockburn (Canada), Wenna He (China), Chunlong Lu (China).

Fact:
Trampoline inventor George Nissen went to extreme lengths to market his invention in the 1950s by employing the services of a trampolining kangaroo.

What to say...
"Team GB have been a bit up and down in this event."

What not to say...
"The heart and soul of this sport can be found at children's birthday parties."

If it were a TV programme, it would be..
Working Lunch. It's all about how bounce is handled in an international market.

Official sites:
www.fig-gymnastics.com/
www.british-gymnastics.org/

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