The Tokyo 2020 Olympics witnessed an amazing performance from Great Britain’s team, (Team GB) winning their first medal in a Women’s Gymnastics Olympic team event in 93 years. This will surely give the sport a fresh burst of motivation for the future, inspiring many young British gymnasts. Though more popular now, gymnastics wasn’t always a fully appreciated sport – it took amazing gymnasts giving ground-breaking performances to really propel the sport into public interest.
Artistic gymnastics has seen so many memorable routines on the beam, uneven bars, and the floor, that it’s hard to pick just a few. However, we’ve compiled 5 superb women’s gymnastics including one of Britain’s choice performances from Tokyo 2020. Let’s somersault straight into Olympic Gymnastics: 5 Incredible Women’s Routines You Must See!
1. Olga Korbut’s Floor Routine at Germany 1972
Olga Korbut competed for the Soviet Union in 1972, coming away from the Olympic Games with a gold medal after her flawless floor routine.
Though this routine may look much easier than modern gymnastics, which is more technical, we must remember that Olga performed this floor routine on a normal floor with no springs.
The power pushing her through her tumbles and leaps had to come from her body alone. Olga’s charisma, gracefulness and power is shown in this beautiful floor routine.
2. Nadia Comaneci’s Uneven Bars at Montreal 1976
Nadia Comaneci’s uneven bars routine was the first in Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Games history to receive a perfect score of 10.
This legendary gymnast has earned herself and Romania 9 Olympic medals, 5 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. And most incredibly, she was only 14 when she competed and won in 1976.
The control and clean-cut moves in her performance in Montreal is unmatched in many people’s eyes. Many believe that, along with Olga Korbut, Comaneci transformed Artistic Gymnastics from a niche sport, into one of the most popular, and highly-anticipated events in the Olympic Games, changing the sport forever!
3. Alexandra Raisman’s Floor at London 2012
We all remember the year 2012 fondly – the year Great Britain got to host the Olympic Games. Women’s Gymnastics were hosted at the O2 Arena.
Alexandra Raisman, competing for the USA, took home the gold medal for her floor exercise. This routine was made impressive by her great rhythm, allowing a buoyant lively routine, amazing tumbling passes aside of course.
4. Sanne Wevers’ Beam at Rio 2016
At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Sanne Wevers performed a beam routine without a single stumble, earning herself a gold medal.
The performance showed off her flexibility, and perfect balance in her turns. This routine really highlights the talent, practice and bodily strength needed to balance and perform gravity-defying tricks on that 4-inch wide beam.
5. Jessica Gadirova’s Floor at Tokyo 2020
The Women’s Gymnastics team made history for Great Britain in Tokyo this year, earning a bronze medal in the team event. This was the first medal earned in Women’s British Gymnastics since the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam!
Their team was made up of twins Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova, along with Alice Kinsella and Amelie Morgan.
One of the most impressive and memorable performances came from Jessica Gadirova, whose floor routine scored an impressive 13.833 in the team final. The young gymnast showed amazing execution of tumbles and leaps, along with eye-catching, unique dance moves. This performance will be remembered for a long time to come!
So which was your favourite Women’s Gymnastics routine performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
