Guide Note

Gymnastics events have been held at every Summer Olympics since the founding of the modern Olympic Games in 1896.¹ Men and women compete for medal sets in 14 artistic and two trampoline events.²³ Women also compete in individual and team rhythmic events.⁴

Fast Facts

1. Men's gymnastics introduced in 1896¹
2. Women's gymnastics introduced in 1928¹
3. Artistic events: 14²
4. Rhythmic events: Two⁴
5. Trampoline events: Two³
6. Governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique⁵

Gymnastics events at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 24, 2008. Rhythmic events were held at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium. Artistic and trampoline events were held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium.⁶

Artistic events ended on August 19, 2008, with China winning both of the team competitions and gold medals in nine of 14 events. The host nation also swept both trampoline competitions, winning the men's and women's individual events and three of the six total medals.⁷

The United States took home a total of 10 artistic gymnastics medals, including two gold medals, one each by female gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Liukin and Johnson also led all other athletes in total medals, winning five and four respectively.⁷

While men's gymnastics events have been held since 1896, women's gymnastics events were not introduced until 1928.¹ Rhythmic gymnastics events were added to the program at the 1984 Summer Games.⁸ The newest events, trampoline, became full medal competitions in 2000.⁹

• Artistic team competition men & women²
• Balance beam women²
• Floor exercises men & women²
• Horizontal bar men²
• Individual all-round men & women²
• Parallel bars men²
• Pommel horse men²
• Rhythmic group competition women⁴
• Rhythmic individual competition women⁴
• Rings men²
• Trampoline individual men & women³
• Uneven bars women²
• Vault men & women²

Gymnastics | Olympics | Summer Olympics | Summer Olympics 2008 | US Olympic Gymnastics 2008 | Shawn Johnson Gold