Why don’t you see rhythmic gymnastics more often?

Written by Theia Lee

Why might you hear more about artistic gymnastics more than rhythmic gymnastics? Why would it be that whenever a rhythmic gymnast tells people that she does rhythmic gymnastics, she asks, 'Can you do a backflip?' which is something notoriously done in A.G. and not R.G. For clarification, A.G. is a more fixed and stationary sport with bars and vaults and beams and is centered around power, strength, and technical precision. Whilst RG is handheld and dynamic, as it utilizes things such as balls, ribbons, hoops, and clubs, it is more focused on flexibility, grace, and musicality. It's also important to note that R.G. doesn’t feature any high-altitude flips and tumbles.

From britannica.com, artistic gymnastics has been around for much longer than rhythmic gymnastics, with it appearing at the Olympics in 1896, while R.G. first appeared in 1984. And in a time such as 1896, when women weren’t really allowed to compete, a sport such as A.G., which includes both men and women, seemed more appealing, whereas R.G. only included women who weren’t even allowed to compete in the Olympics.

According to gymninkinnykids.com, a reason why A.G. may be more popular could be because doing all those flips and tricks looks a lot more exciting and may bring a clearer achievement for kids to take home, while in R.G., the improvements can either be very clear or an improvement that requires a lot of attention to detail to notice.

During an interview with a coach of R.G., it’s explained that R.G. requires each individual to purchase expensive equipment, which is difficult to find since it is only made in certain countries. While with A.G., the expense is a one-time thing for everybody to share in the gym. And while you could say R.G. is another one-time expense for a whole journey. It really isn't; the taller you get, the bigger the required sizes for your apparatus become.

In conclusion, A.G. is more heard of compared to R.G. due to its longer history and wider inclusion, along with its lower expenses and requirements for the person participating in it. R.G. is a lot more of an elegant and soft sport with a slight eccentric touch, with its roots stemming from ballet and circus, combining high throws and acrobatics with the artistry and sinuosity of ballet, which in itself is a demanding and ‘slower’ form of exercise. And because of its similarity to ballet, the sport itself could lose its identity and be lumped in with ballet, making it even more unheard of.