With the Olympics just around the corner, everyone’s attention is turning to the world’s top athletes. While there are many talented gymnasts competing, there are female gymnasts who are sure to impress at the Games.
Leading Female Gymnasts to Watch at The Olympics
The Olympics are just around the corner, and with them comes one of the most popular sporting events: gymnastics. Gymnastics always seems to produce incredible athletes who amaze us with their strength, grace, and flexibility. This year is no different, and there are several female gymnasts who are expected to be major contenders for medals.
Simone Biles
Arguably the most famous gymnast in the world, Simone Biles is a five-time Olympic medalist and reigning world champion. She is expected to be a strong contender in multiple events, including the all-around competition.
Gabrielle Douglas
Another Olympic veteran, Gabrielle Douglas was a member of the “Fierce Five” team that won gold at the London Olympics in 2012. She specializes in the uneven bars and is expected to be a key member of the US team this year.
Laurie Hernandez
At just 16 years old, Laurie Hernandez is one of the youngest members of the US Olympic team. She burst onto the scene last year when she won gold in the all-around competition at the World Championships. Hernandez is a dynamic performer with a lot of personality, and she is sure to be a crowd favorite in Rio.
Where to Watch Women’s Gymnastics Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will feature some of the world’s best female gymnasts, including defending Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles and fan favorite Gabby Douglas. Here’s how to watch them compete.
The women’s gymnastics competition at the Olympics will take place August 4-7. The team competition will be held on the first two days, with the individual all-around competition on August 7.
The U.S. team is expected to be a strong contender for the gold medal, and will be led by Simone Biles, who is widely considered the best gymnast in the world. Other members of the team include Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian.
You can watch the gymnastics competitions live on NBCOlympics.com or on the NBC Sports app (available on iOS and Android). If you have a cable or satellite subscription, you can also watch on the NBC Sports app or on your TV by tuning into NBC (channel 3 in New York City).
What to Expect From The Women’s Gymnastics Competition at The Olympics
Gymnastics is one of the most popular sports at the Olympics, and the women’s competition is always one of the most highly anticipated events. This year’s Olympics will be no different, with a talented field of gymnasts set to compete for gold.
One of the biggest storylines heading into the Olympics is whether or not American Simone Biles can continue her dominance in the sport. Biles is widely considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, and she has won gold medals at every major international competition she has competed in over the last two years. She will be looking to add an Olympic gold medal to her collection in Tokyo, but she will have stiff competition from a number of other talented gymnasts.
Another gymnast to keep an eye on is Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. Mustafina is a two-time Olympic medalist, and she will be looking to add another gold medal to her collection in Tokyo. She will be one of Biles’ biggest rivals in the all-around competition, and it should be an exciting battle between two of the sport’s biggest stars.
The women’s gymnastics competition at the Olympics is always must-see TV, and this year’s edition promises to be even more exciting than usual. Be sure to tune in to catch all of the action!
Who are The Favorites to Win Gold in The Women’s Gymnastics Competition at The Olympics
Simone Biles, United States – Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, and many are calling her the greatest of all time. She’s the reigning Olympic all-around champion, and she’s also won 14 World Championship gold medals. Biles is the heavy favorite to win gold in the all-around competition, and she’s also expected to contend for medals on the beam, floor exercise and vault.
Shelley Rudman, Great Britain – Rudman is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning silver in the skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics and bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She’s also won a World Championship silver medal and two bronze medals. Rudman is a contender for a medal in the skeleton event at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Lizzy Yarnold, Great Britain – Yarnold is a former world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the skeleton event. She won gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and she followed that up with a World Championship gold medal in 2015. Yarnold is a contender for a medal in the skeleton event at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Elena Nikitina, Russia – Nikitina is a former world champion and Olympic bronze medalist in the skeleton event. She won bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and she followed that up with a World Championship gold medal in 2015. Nikitina is a contender for a medal in the skeleton event at
How The Women’s Gymnastics Competition at The Olympics has Changed Over The Years
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. At that time, only men were allowed to compete in the Olympics. It wasn’t until the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam that women were first allowed to compete. Even then, there were only a few events that women could compete in. It wasn’t until the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki that the full complement of gymnastics events were available to women.
The gymnastics competition at the Olympics has changed quite a bit since those early days. In the past, the competition was held over a period of several days, with each gymnast performing several routines – one on each apparatus. The score for each routine was added up, and the gymnast with the highest total score was declared the winner.
Nowadays, the competition is much more streamlined. Gymnasts still have to perform multiple routines – one on each apparatus – but their scores are not added up. Instead, their highest scoring routine on each apparatus is used to determine their final score. This makes for a much more exciting competition, as it’s impossible to predict who will come out on top until all of the routines have been completed.
A history of The Women’s Gymnastics Competition at The Olympics
The first women’s gymnastics competition at the Olympic Games took place in 1928 in Amsterdam. Gymnastics was then a demonstration sport at the 1932 Los Angeles Games, and finally became an official medal sport at the 1952 Helsinki Games. The Soviet Union dominated the early years of women’s gymnastics at the Olympics, winning the first five team gold medals. Since then, however, a number of different nations have won team gold, including Romania (1984), China (1996), the United States (1996 and 2008), and Russia (2012).
The Challenges Faced by Female Gymnasts at The Olympics
Since its introduction as a sport in the early 1900s, gymnastics has been a favorite at the Olympic Games. The first women’s Olympic gymnastics competition was held in 1928, and it has been a staple of the Games ever since.
While gymnastics is a relatively equal sport for men and women at the collegiate and professional levels, the same cannot be said for the Olympic Games. In recent years, there have been increasing calls for gender equality in gymnastics, as female gymnasts are often subject to more intense scrutiny and criticism than their male counterparts.
This was exemplified during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when American Simone Biles was widely considered to be the best gymnast in the world. Despite her dominance in the sport, Biles was repeatedly compared to her male counterparts and faced intense pressure to live up to their accomplishments.
This year’s Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan, and it is shaping up to be an exciting competition. Here are five female gymnasts to keep an eye on:
1. Simone Biles (USA) – The four-time Olympic gold medalist is once again considered to be the favorite to win gold in Tokyo. Biles is known for her power and grace, and she is one of the most decorated gymnasts in history.
2. Sunisa Lee (USA) – At just 16 years old, Lee is one of the youngest members of Team USA. She made her debut at last year’s World Championships and won a silver medal on balance beam.
3. Nikita Nagornyy (Russia) – Nagornyy is the reigning world champion on floor exercise and parallel bars, and he will be looking to add an Olympic gold medal to his collection in Tokyo.
4. Liu Tingting (China) – Liu is a two-time Olympic medalist and she will be looking to add to her haul in Tokyo. She is known for her beautiful executions on floor exercise and balance beam.
5. Angelina Melnikova (Russia) – Melnikova competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of Team Russia, helping her team win bronze in the team final. She will be looking to make her mark as an individual competitor in Tokyo.
The Inspiring Stories of Female Gymnasts at The Olympics
Since the 1896 Olympic games in Athens, Greece, women have been competing in gymnastics. In 1928, the first women’s Olympic gymnastics team was sent to the games in Amsterdam. Since then, female athletes have continued to win medals and break records. Here are some of the inspiring stories of female gymnasts at the Olympics.
Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast. She is the reigning Olympic champion in the all-around, vault and floor exercise. She is also a three-time world champion in the all-around, and a three-time national champion. Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, and began gymnastics at six years old. When she was sixteen, she won her first Olympic gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Gabby Douglas is an American artistic gymnast. She was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and she is also the first African American to become an Olympic champion in gymnastics. Douglas was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and began taking gymnastics classes at age six. When she was fourteen, she won her first major title at the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup.
Aly Raisman is an American artistic gymnast. She was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team at both the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Raisman was born in Needham, Massachusetts, and began taking gymnastics classes at age two. When she was eighteen, she won her first Olympic gold medal as part of the “Fierce Five” U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the 2012 London Olympics.