Though men and women can play many of the same sports with no changes to the game, gymnastics works differently. Competitions are divided by gender, and the differences between them highlight different aspects of the sport. To learn more about the ways men’s and women’s gymnastics differ, consult the brief guide below. 

A Guide to Men’s & Women’s Gymnastics

Routines

Women’s gymnastics primarily focuses on flexibility, artistry, and grace. To do this, female gymnasts usually incorporate dancing into their routines or attempt to tell a story with their movements. Men, however, perform to showcase their upper-body strength, and they do not use music. Despite the differences in routines, each competitor must display coordination, balance, stamina, and strength.

Events

Men and women only share two events, which are the vault and the floor. In addition to those shared events, women also compete in the uneven bars, and balance beam while men compete in rings, high bar, parallel bars, and pommel horse.

Like the floor exercise, the vault event is also different. Men are usually required to execute more complex vaults from a taller height than women.

Scoring

All gymnastics categories were scored based on a 10.0 system before 2006. Currently, the Women’s Junior Olympic and collegiate programs continue to use this system to judge competitors.

At the top level, both men and women are scored under regulations set by the International Gymnastics Federation. They use a complex system that breaks down the performance’s execution, technical achievements, and difficulty. The Men’s Junior Olympic and collegiate programs are judged based on a modified version of this system.

If your child is interested in gymnastics, contact Top Flight Gymnastics in Columbia, MD. This 20,00-square foot facility offers boy’s and girl’s classes as well as toddler sessions. Their amenities include everything from spring floors to trampolines, and their expert staff holds exceptional training. Schedule your free tour by calling (410) 992-1600 or visit them online to learn more about their tumbling classes and competitive teams.