Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG)
General Information
This is a very popular discipline of Gymnastics in the UK and plays its part in Lincoln Gymnastics Club. The sport demands body control, body awareness, suppleness, stamina, coordination, amplitude and courage. At competitive level in Lincoln Gym Club the gymnasts can train from two to five times a week dependent on the level they are working at. LEVEL 6 Training twice a week, they are following the very first level of competitive gymnastics and perform routines and skills on bars, bench, floor and vault. They will compete once or twice a year at a county level LEVEL 5 Training from two to three times a week, these gymnasts have attained either a pass mark through to this level from Level 5 or have attained skills needing them to be moved up. They will compete two or three times a year at a county or regional level and perform on all four pieces of apparatus: Vault, uneven bars, beam and floor. LEVEL 4, 3 & 2 Attaining these levels requires the gymnasts to be training from three to five times a week. They will compete at county, regional and sometimes national competitions. They perform routines on 4 pieces of apparatus: Vault, uneven bars, beam and floor with rules according to the level. At Lincoln some of our gymnasts will also follow the FIG Grades Programme. This involves the children performing set routines of basic skills on each piece of apparatus and also a range of movement set routine to show flexibility and control. The children chosen for this must show an ability to be successful to attain a high pass mark to follow the program from Grade 14 - Grade 1.
Apparatus
Vault (VT) Height from the floor: 1m to 1.25 metres. The vaulting table is used or sometimes piled up safety mats. Each vault is awarded a value according to its difficulty. The height and the length of the vault are of crucial importance together with the exactness of the turns before and after the somersault and the controlled landing. Gymnasts usually perform two vaults, the best scores of which counts. Uneven Bars (UB) Low bar is now measured from floor to top of low bar as 170cm and to high bar top at 250cm +/- 1cm. The maximum width allowed between the bars is 180cm. The exercise dependent on level will either use one or both of the bars. It should include flowing, circling and swinging movements, above and below the bars. The more difficult elements should be demonstrated to maximise scores. Often a spectacular dismount ends the routine. Balance Beam (BB) Height of the beam from the floor: 1metre to 1.25 metres. The beam is five metres long and only 10 cm wide. A routine on the beam should be an artistic combination of a variety of acrobatic elements, gymnastic leaps, jumps, turns, step and running combinations, waves and balance elements in standing, sitting and lying positions. The gymnast should use the entire length of the beam, demonstrating elegance, flexibility, rhythm, tempo, balance, confidence and control. Dismount series of acrobatic elements can be very spectacular. The maximum time on beam is 1,30. Floor Exercise (FX) The floor measures 12 x 12 metres, with an additional safety border of 1 metre. The performance area must have a surface elasticity to allow for power during take-off and softness for landing. The floor exercise, accompanied by music to enhance the performance, should combine dance movements and sequences with a variety of tumbling and acrobatic elements. The whole floor area should be used with the exercise being varied in mood, tempo and direction. Individuality, originality, maturity, mastery and artistry of presentation are key ingredients for a high score.