Gymnastics events explained for girls and boys

Who competes on what

In standard artistic gymnastics, women's competition has four events and men's competition has six. Many programs for young children begin with the same basic skills for everyone, then add events as gymnasts progress. Specific events offered at beginner levels differ by gym and organization, so check with your program. This guide covers artistic gymnastics; other disciplines such as rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic and group gymnastics have their own apparatus and rules.

The women's events

Vault

The gymnast sprints down a runway, jumps onto a springboard, pushes off a vaulting surface with her hands and flies into a landing. Vault is fast: the whole skill takes only a few seconds, and landings are a big part of the score.

Uneven bars

Two horizontal bars set at different heights. The gymnast swings, releases, regrasps and moves between the bars. The event rewards upper-body strength, rhythm and timing. Many gymnasts wear grips to protect their hands.

Balance beam

A narrow raised beam. Gymnasts combine leaps, jumps, turns, acrobatic skills and a dismount. Beam is often described as the most mentally demanding event, because it is about balance and calm as much as skill.

Floor exercise

A routine on a large sprung floor. In women's competition, floor is performed to music and blends tumbling passes with dance and choreography. Expression and performance matter along with skills.

The men's events

• Floor exercise. Tumbling passes on the same type of sprung floor. Men's floor is performed without music and combines acrobatic passes with strength and balance elements.
• Pommel horse. The gymnast supports himself on the hands and swings the legs in circles and scissor-like movements over a horse with two handles called pommels. It demands rhythm and strong shoulders and core.
• Still rings. Two rings hang from cables. The gymnast swings and holds strength positions with the rings as still as possible. It is one of the biggest tests of upper-body strength.
• Vault. Like the women's event: run, springboard, push off and land.
• Parallel bars. Two bars side by side at the same height. The gymnast swings, supports and flies between and over them.
• Horizontal bar. A single high bar for big swings, releases and catches, finished with a dismount.

What to look for as a parent

• Progressions. Coaches teach skills in small steps with spotting and soft landing surfaces. A skill that looks easy may have taken months of drills.
• Different strengths. A child may love beam and dread bars, or the other way around. That is normal.
• Fear is normal. Nerves around new skills are expected. A good coach lets a gymnast move forward at a safe pace.

Where to go next

Once you know the apparatus, the next question is how a meet is run. See how gymnastics meets and scoring work. To make sense of the words you will hear in the gym, try gymnastics terms for new parents. The full collection lives on the gymnastics hub.

Skills that show up everywhere

Even though the apparatus look so different, the same building blocks appear again and again. Handstands, strong body shapes, jumps, rolls, cartwheels and controlled landings are taught early because they are used on every event. That is why a good beginner class spends so much time on basics such as conditioning, flexibility and body awareness. A gymnast who builds these foundations will find new events easier to learn later.

It also means a young gymnast does not need to choose a favorite event right away. Most programs let children try a bit of everything first and discover what they enjoy.

One more note: apparatus dimensions and heights are set by the governing body and by each program, and they can be adjusted for younger gymnasts. Ask your coach rather than relying on numbers you find online.