The Balance Beam is the most demanding artistic gymnastics event for women. It takes a lot of guts to take the gymnast high over the beam, but it also takes a lot of coordination to accomplish these movements and yet land accurately on the 4" wide beam. The risk of injury during this event is very high - anything from a mild concussion to a broken bone can happen when someone misses a beam move or falls off the beam.
The best way to describe the Balance Beam is as a giant trampoline. The gymnast starts out on the floor, springs up, and must keep her body straight while in the air to avoid falling back down. If she falls, she has to start all over again. The Balance Beam is designed to test both mental and physical strength as well as control of body weight as athletes try not to fall by using their mind and muscles to stay upright.
As with all events you should never be afraid to ask for help if you are not sure what you are doing. A coach or trainer who has seen many competitions can give you helpful advice about what skills are important to success in this event.
The Balance Beam is difficult because you need to use your entire body to perform certain moves. Your arms and legs must work together to keep your body balanced while you are in the air.
The balancing beam is one of the most important competitive gymnastics events in the discipline of women's artistic gymnastics. It is compulsory for all Olympic gymnasts to perform on the beam at least once during their career.
The balance beam is a horizontal, wooden or steel structure with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 meters. There are two types of beams: static and mobile. The static beam does not move; it is used for practice only. The mobile beam can be rotated about its center by a hydraulic cylinder so that both sides can be used for equal competition time.
Gymnasts use their hands and feet to control the beam and perform various skills on it. They may start from one end of the beam and work their way toward the other or do a complete circle. Most often, they perform a dismount off the beam either backwards or forward according to whether they are standing or sitting on the floor when they finish.
During competition, each gymnast is allowed three attempts to score well enough on each of the two elements (total of six attempts) to reach the next higher level. If she fails twice, she must return to the previous level until she succeeds on her third attempt.
So, why don't male gymnasts compete on the balancing beam? Essentially, the decision to ban males off the balancing beam is based on centuries-old gender conventions. Because women bear their weight in their lower bodies, an instrument like the balancing beam would have been more appropriate for them.
The first recorded all-male gymnastics event was held in 1845 at the Oxford University Gymnasium. Ever since then, men have been banned from competing on the balancing beam because it is considered too dangerous for them.
The male body is not designed for balance. We carry our own weight in order to be able to lift objects and provide protection for our brains. Men are naturally born with a higher degree of muscle tension than women, which means that they are prone to injuries that could be avoided if they were allowed to participate on exercises like the balancing beam.
In addition, men are often required to show physical strength and aggression, which means that they need to keep some of their muscles free to use as a source of power when needed. If these muscles were used for balancing, they wouldn't be available for other activities. Finally, there's also a tradition behind banning men from the balancing beam. For centuries, men have been expected to be able to control themselves around women. Allowing men to practice skills like the balancing beam would give them an advantage over the women who are expected to comply with their demands.
If gymnastics wasn't remarkable enough, consider this fact: a balancing beam is barely 10 cm (about four inches) broad. That's smaller than an iPhone in landscape mode, and as someone who can pull a muscle simply shooting a selfie, I'm curious. If gymnastics wasn't already spectacular enough, consider this fact: A balancing beam is just 10 cm (four inches) broad.
In the balance beam, only female gymnasts participate. This event was a latecomer to the world of gymnastics. Johan GutsMuths began teaching young gymnasts to balance using a tree trunk in the late 18th century. This basic notion has evolved into its own event throughout the years. Women's balance beams are usually made out of wood, but they can also be made out of metal or plastic.
In addition to women, men may also participate in the balance beam. This occurs mostly at national level competitions where equal numbers of male and female athletes compete against one another. At the international level, only female gymnasts are allowed to participate because of safety concerns. If a male athlete were to fall from the beam, he could cause serious injury to others below him.
Men tend to have better coordination than women, which helps them perform more difficult moves on the beam. However, this difference tends to even out over time. As well, men tend to be heavier than women, which adds weight to their bodies and makes it harder for them to balance themselves. Over time, this would likely even out any advantage that either gender might have.
However, due to safety reasons, only female gymnasts are allowed to participate in the balance beam at international competitions. Men may watch from the stands though if they are members of the same national team as the women; this is called "handicapping".
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