Although they share the same name, men’s and women’s gymnastics are completely different sports. With the Olympics set to get underway in Paris next week, the two different disciplines will be on full display on the biggest stage.
It is fascinating to see how the same sport can create such a contrast!
The primary difference between men’s and women’s competition is the structure. They participate in eight specific events that are decided by gender. There are six for the men and four for the women.
Women compete on the Uneven Bars and Balance Beam. Men compete on Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. They share the Floor Exercise and Vault.
A group of Penn State gymnasts recently switched events to prove the difficulty of the sport. The men tried the Beam and Uneven Bars. The women tried Pommel Horse and Still Rings. Results were mixed.
And then there’s the Floor Exercise, which is only the same event in name.
Gymnastics is… hard!
Women compete to music on Floor. Their routines involve a lot of dancing and showmanship alongside the tumbling. Men do not compete to music on Floor. Their routines are more rigid, without frills, and focus entirely on superhuman strength.
Physical, biological differences between men and women make the same event look unique for each gender. There are things that the former can do that the latter cannot, and vice versa.
A group of Division I athletes put the contrast on display at Beam Queen Bootcamp. Seven women tried to mimic a skill that was used by a male gymnast on Floor at the Olympic Trials. They represent Michigan State, Ball State, Iowa, North Dakota State and Michigan. Their efforts largely failed and resulted in face plants.
These women are some of the best in the world at their craft, but even they cannot successfully complete a skill that most men’s gymnasts would consider fairly routine. It is remarkable to see the difference between the two disciplines and it just goes to show how difficult gymnastics really is!