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Beijing Trampoline Olympics 2008
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The Beijing August 2008 Olympics saw Louis Smith clinch the first gymnastics Gold medal for Great Britain in 80 years. The established sport gained its first entry into the Olympics in the first games of 1896 and is one of the oldest sports in Olympic history.
A young child to Olympic gymnastics, trampolining made its debut in the Olympic games of Sydney 2000, following a merger with the gymnastics federation, and has jumped from strength to strength ever since. Uniting a perfect fusion of gymnastics, athletics and aesthetics, trampolining is no doubt the contemporary, fresh counterpart to the traditional and far more established sport of gymnastics. The Sydney Olympics saw the Russian Federation champion as Alexander Moskalenko and Irina Karavaeva claimed two gold medals at the podium for their bouncing expertise.
Along with Alexander and Irina, the men and women who fly higher than twenty metres (65 feet) into the air favour the term bouncers to trampolinists. Along with their specific title, the Olympic trampolining competition also requires specific conditions.
The arena must be a minimum of eight metres, preferably ten to twelve, in height in order to accommodate the leaping gymnasts. It must be fitted with four trampolines including enclosures and floor covering, two double Mini-Tramps, one Tumbling Track, seven spotter mats and one springboard. The organizer must submit a brand of trampolining equipment at least six months preceding the event and notify the FIG Secretary General of this verdict. Bouncers also require a private warming up area away from their audience.
Thetrampolining environment is so detailed, even the temperature of its arena must be regulated! Conditions should be at a minimum of 20°C and lighting must be designed in a manner in which not to dazzle the bouncers it illuminates, along with the ability to clearly separate the spectator area from that of the competitors in the arena.
With the well-being and safety of its bouncers’ a vital factor, the competition requires a team physician to accompany the bouncers and their coaches in all competitions.
The rules for Olympic trampolining ensure both male and female competitors participate autonomously in separate events. With no time limit, competitors firstly perform one obligatory routine containing precise skills and expertise, followed by a voluntary routine. The two combined form the Qualification Round. This is proceeded by the Final Round in which bouncers’ show-case their other talents in a final optional routine. Each routine comprises of a combination of ten elements which are scrutinized by the judges. Ten contacts must be made with the trampoline bed, illustrating an amalgamation of rotations, shapes and twist. Take-off and landing must be in one of four positions: feet, seat, back and front.
So, were you thinking of trying your hand at some trampolining moves such as these Olympic competitors? The somersaults and twists involved in the Olympic routines explained above are judged by their difficulty in regard to height and complexity. The number of somersaults in each move is indication of the intricacy of the move. Routines must end with competitors in a vertical pose, with both feet planted firmly on the trampoline bed for at least three seconds after their finished routine. Remember to keep your legs together and those toes pointed! Olympic rules state that only one attempt at a routine can be made with the exception of external intervention.
Similar to its gymnastic relative, technical ability is not enough for a winning score in Olympic trampolining; your style and flair is paramount to success. Judges reward an Olympic bouncer for creativity and elegance.
After all routines are complete, the scoring can begin. Your Olympic routine is reviewed by a board of five expert judges. Judging on a routine’s structure, flow, maximum and maintained height and the discipline of the competitor, each judge delivers a score out of ten. Fractions of points are subtracted for any mistakes the bouncers make.
The lowest and highest points for each routine are then abandoned and the three left are computed. After including a score for difficulty your ultimate score is agreed upon. Any tying of scores leads to a recount, this time incorporating the two unused marks to resolve a winner.
Beijing’s 2008 Olympics saw a Gold double for China in trampolining. Lu Chunlong bounced into first place with 41.00 points, closely followed by the women’s Gold medalist He Wenna with a score of 37.80 points. The Chinese duo bounced together on the trampoline, with their national flag in the air after their success, to the glee of the 18,000-strong audience at Beijing's National Indoor Stadium.
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