Pommel horse - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...

apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male

Male

Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...

gymnast

Gymnast

Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...

s. Originally made of a metal

Metal

A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

frame with a wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

en body and a leather

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

cover, modern pommel horses have a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather, with plastic handles (or pommels).

History

The pommel horse was developed centuries ago as an artificial horse used by soldiers to practice mounting and dismounting. Even Alexander the Great is believed to have used one.

Dimensions

Measurements of the apparatus are published by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique

Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique

The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique or International Federation of Gymnastics is the governing body of competitive gymnastics. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded on July 23, 1881 in Liège, Belgium, making it the oldest international sport organisation...

(FIG) in the Apparatus Norms brochure.

Height from top surface to floor: 115 centimetres (3.8 ft) ± 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in)
Length at top: 160 centimetres (5.2 ft) ± 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in)
Length at bottom: 155 centimetres (5.1 ft) ± 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in)
Width at top: 35 centimetres (13.8 in) ± 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in)
Width at bottom: 30 centimetres (11.8 in) ± 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in)
Height of the pommels: 12 centimetres (4.7 in) ± 0.5 centimetre (0.196850393700787 in)
Distance between the pommels: 40 centimetres (15.7 in) - 45 centimetres (17.7 in) (adjustable)

Routines

A typical pommel horse exercise involves both single leg and double leg work. Single leg skills are generally in the form of scissors. Double leg work however, is the main staple of this event. The gymnast swings both legs in a circular motion (clockwise or counterclockwise depending on preference) and performs such skills on all parts of the apparatus. To make the exercise more challenging, gymnasts will often include variations on a typical circling skill by turning (moores and spindles), by straddling their legs (Flairs), placing one or both hands on the pommel or the leather, or moving up and down the horse placing their hands on the pommel and/or the leather (travelling). Routines end when the gymnast performs a dismount, either by swinging his body over the horse or going through a handstand to land on the mat. The pommel horse, its gymnastic elements, and various rules are all regulated by the Code of Points

Code of Points (artistic gymnastics)

A Code of Points is a rulebook that defines the scoring system for each level of competition in gymnastics. There is no unified, international code of points; every oversight organization—such as FIG , NCAA Gymnastics, and most national gymnastics federations—designs and employs its own unique Code...

.

Pommel horse is considered one of the more difficult men's events. While it is well noted that all events require a certain build of muscle and technique, pommel horse tends to favor technique over muscle. This is because horse routines are done from the shoulders in a leaning motion and that no moves need to be held unlike other events. Therefore, stress induced in one's arms is reduced meaning less muscle is needed in this event than events like still rings

Rings (gymnastics)

The rings, also known as still rings , is an artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it. It is traditionally used only by male gymnasts, due to its extreme upper-body strength requirements...

or parallel bars.

International level routines

A pommel horse routine should contain at least one element from all element groups:

I. Single leg swings and scissors
II. Circles and flairs, with and/or without spindles and handstands
III. Side and cross support travels
IV. Kehrswings, wendeswings, flops and combined elements
V. Dismounts

Scoring and Rules

As with all events in the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique

Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique

guidelines, form is crucial to any successful routine. For pommel horse, form consists of keeping one's feet pointed and legs straight during the entire routine. The gymnast should keep his legs together during all elements, exceptions beings scissors, single legged elements, and flairs. Gymnasts are also deducted for not passing through handstand in dismount, not using all three sections of the horse, and pausing or stopping on the apparatus. Deductions also apply for brushing and hitting the apparatus.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.