Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdominal muscle groups. Gymnastics evolved from exercises used by the ancient Greeks that included skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and from circus performance skills.
The International Gymnastics Federation is the body governing competition in all disciplines of gymnastics. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded on July 23, 1881, in Liège, Belgium, making it the world's oldest existing international sports organisation. Originally called the European Federation of Gymnastics, it had three member countries—Belgium, France and the Netherlands—until 1921, when non-European countries were admitted and it received its current name.
Gymnastics has been part of all World Games. Among the disciplines, there are rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and tumbling as well as acrobatics and aerobics. Artistic gymnastics are not contested at the World Games because all of its disciplines have always been Olympic sports.
Kristin Allen is a Hall of Fame American acrobatic gymnast. Kristin and her partner Michael Rodrigues made history by becoming the first American mixed pair to win a gold medal from the World Games in 2009 and the second American pair to win the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in 2010. Domestically, the pair have won national titles in 2008 and 2010. She competed for the United States of America Gymnastics from 2001 until her retirement in August 2010 and spent five of those years on the Senior National Team.
Spelbound are a gymnastic troupe from the United Kingdom who rose to fame in 2010, winning the fourth series of Britain's Got Talent. The prize was £100,000 and the opportunity to appear at the 2010 Royal Variety Performance. They also performed in the Britain's Got Talent Live tour. They have since performed at numerous venues and have been featured in advertisements.
Axl Osborne is an acrobatic gymnast. He currently competes as the base in a mixed pair with his partner Tiffani Williams. With partner Tiffani Williams, Osbourne came 2nd at the 2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. He previously competed as the base in a Level 9 mixed pair with his partner, acrobatic gymnast Lydia Webb.
Michael Rodrigues is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who now performs in the Cirque du Soleil show Viva ELVIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his former mixed-pairs partner, retired elite acrobatic gymnast Kristin Allen.
Edward Robin Upcott is a five times British acrobatic gymnast champion who was world men's pairs champion in partnership with Doug Fordyce, winning the gold medal in July 2010 in Poland. Before his partnership with Fordyce, Upcott was in partnership with Mark Fyson, who retired in 2009 after the pair had won the bronze medal in the 2008 world championships in Glasgow. With his new partner Adam McAssey, Upcott was awarded the silver medal in the 2012 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
Douglas Fordyce, known usually as Doug Fordyce, is a British acrobatic gymnast who won the title of world men's pairs champion with Edward Upcott in July 2010 in Poland.
Adam Buckingham is a British acrobatic gymnast who won the title of world men's fours champion with Adam McAssey, Alex Uttley and Jonathan Stranks in July 2010 in Poland.
Alex Uttley is a British acrobatic gymnast who won the title of world men's fours champion with Adam Buckingham, Adam McAssey and Jonathan Stranks in July 2010 in Poland.
Jonathan Stranks is a British acrobatic gymnast who won the title of world men's fours champion with Adam Buckingham, Adam McAssey and Alex Uttley in July 2010 in Poland.
Mark Fyson is a British former acrobatic gymnast.
Alice Upcott is a retired British female acrobatic gymnast and the sister of Edward Upcott, world champion in 2010. With Dominic Smith, she was awarded the gold medal in the 2013 World Games, the gold medal at the 2013 Acrobatic Gymnastics European Championships and the silver medal in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
Dominic Smith is a British male acrobatic gymnast. With Alice Upcott, he was awarded the gold medal in the 2013 World Games, the gold medal at the 2013 Acrobatic Gymnastics European Championships and the silver medal in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
Kiley Boynton is an American female acrobatic gymnast. With Ryan Ward, she was awarded the bronze medal in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
Alexei Dudchenko is a Russian male acrobatic gymnast medalled at five Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. In partnership with Konstantin Pilipchuk, he is a two-times world champion in men's pairs, winning in the 2012 and 2014. He won silver medals at the 2006, 2008 and 2010. Along with Pilipchuk, he also won silver medal on the 2009 World Games, gold medal on the 2013 World Games and is a four-time European champion.
Daniel Cook is a British male acrobatic gymnast. With partners Connor Bartlett, Gareth Wood and George Wood, Cook achieved silver in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. Daniel is also a former member of acrobatic performance troupe and Britains Got Talent winners - Spelbound, joining the troupe in 2012.
FIG World Cup refers to a number of events organized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) across seven competitive gymnastics disciplines: 1) acrobatic gymnastics, 2) aerobic gymnastics, 3) men's artistic gymnastics, 4) women's artistic gymnastics, 5) women's rhythmic gymnastics, 6) trampoline and tumbling, and 7) parkour.
Zurcaroh is an acrobatic show group based in Götzis, Vorarlberg (Austria), and directed by Brazilian choreographer Peterson da Cruz Hora. The group became internationally known after they won a golden buzzer on the 2017 season of France's Got Talent and again in 2018 on season 13 of America's Got Talent, when they finished second overall.
