Rhythmic gymnastics
A gymnastics discipline in which individual or group routines combine dance, leaps, balances, and apparatus such as ribbons, hoops, and balls.
Code of Points: The rulebook that defines rhythmic gymnastics requirements, difficulty values, and judging criteria. It turns each routine’s risks, technical elements, and artistry into a scored performance.
Ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics): A long, narrow strip of fabric attached to a stick and used as rhythmic gymnastics apparatus. Continuous patterns and throws demand control of its path and tension.
Artistic gymnastics: A gymnastics discipline featuring apparatus-based routines judged for difficulty and execution. It emphasizes fixed apparatus events rather than dance routines with handheld objects.
International Gymnastics Federation: The international governing body for gymnastics disciplines, known by its French initials FIG. It governs the sport and sets the rules used in international competition.
Apparatus handling: The control and manipulation of an object during a rhythmic gymnastics routine. Throws, catches, rolls, and exchanges make apparatus work part of the technical challenge.
Hoop (rhythmic gymnastics): A circular apparatus used in rhythmic gymnastics for rotations, rolls, throws, and catches. Its shape supports rolling and circling actions distinct from other apparatus.
Artistic swimming: A judged aquatic sport combining synchronized movement, choreography, and music. It shares choreographic scoring but performs in water without rhythmic apparatus.
Olympic Games: An international multisport event held in Summer and Winter editions under the Olympic movement. Olympic inclusion made rhythmic gymnastics visible to a worldwide audience.
Choreography: The design and arrangement of movement in a dance or performance. It links body movements and apparatus actions into a coherent routine.
Ball (rhythmic gymnastics): A small, resilient ball used in rhythmic gymnastics for throws, balances, and body rolls. Its continuous contact and rebounds create a different handling challenge.