Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ULUSLARARASI BALKANSPOR BİLİMLERİ KONGRESİ /THE INTERNATIONAL BALKAN CONFERENCE IN SPORT SCIENCES IBCSS 2017, Bursa, Türkiye, 21 - 23 Mayıs 2017, ss.47
INTRODUCTION: Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that a high level of development in motor skills, such as
flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, agility, rhythm and balance is required. Flexibility has become one of
the most required physical abilities and nowadays it makes up the framework of fundamental body movement
difficulties (jumps/leaps, balances and rotations) in rhythmic gymnastics. The gymnasts with high flexibility and a
good compromise between strength and flexibility is advisable for high quality performance. However, there is
lack of studies regarding the analysis of body movement difficulties with back bend of the trunk in routines of
Olympic level gymnasts.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the body movement difficulties with back bend of the trunk
variations of different levels of individual elite rhythmic gymnasts’ routines in 2016-Olympic Games qualification
competition. Method: The research data was collected from 24 rhythmic gymnasts’ (age = 20.25 ± 2.69 years)
routines during 2016-Olympic Games qualification competition in the 34th Rhythmic Gymnastics World
Championships-2015 in Stuttgart/Germany. Totally 96 routines’ videos were recorded. In the qualification
competitions, depending on 4 apparatus’ results (hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon), top 15 gymnasts directly qualified for
the 2016-Olympic Games. In this context, the gymnasts were divided into 2 groups as follows: G1/1-15 top 15
gymnasts and G2/16-24 from 16 to 24 gymnasts. Video analysis were done according to the 2013-2016 Rhythmic
Gymnastics-Code of Points Rules of International Gymnastics Federation. The number of body difficulties
(jumps/leaps, balances, and rotations) and values were examined by quality and quantity. In the second step, the
body movement difficulties with back bend of the trunk were analyzed and results were shown as the percentage.
In addition, Chi-square analysis were used to determine the differences between groups.
RESULTS: It was determined that the most variations for body movement difficulties with back bend of the trunk
were used with jumps/leaps (62.5%) and with balance (44%) difficulties. The least variations were with rotation
(26.09%) difficulties. Generally, split leaps in ring with back bend with trunk rotation (51.04%), balance in back
scale leg high up (57.29%) and rotation in free leg high up with help in a flexion position (54.17%) difficulties were
the most used body movement difficulties for the G1/1-15 and G2/16-24 gymnasts in overall total. These three
body movement difficulties were performed more frequently in hoop routines. However, the percentage rates for
the most performed balance with back scale leg high up difficulty was found to be statistically different (p ≤ 0.05)
between groups, and G1/1-15 (65.63%) performed much more than G2/16-24 (36.11%).
DISCUSSION: It can be reported that although the candidates for 2016-Olympic Games rhythmic gymnasts who
were at different performance levels tend to use generally the same quality of jumps/leaps, balances and
rotations body movement difficulties with back bend of the trunk for all of their routines. It was concluded that the
flexibility movement, which is content with back bend of the trunk, is mainly used in overall choreographies in
different level of Olympic Games candidates of rhythmic gymnasts.