#3 Brighton - Part 4 of a 5 Part Series Photograph - Limited Edition of 50

This is Part 4 of a 5 Part Series. At first glance to the unaccustomed eye, Ribbon Rhythmics may seem a little odd. But that would be doing the dedicated people involved an injustice. Rhythmic Gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon or rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. Rhythmic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation. Which first recognized it as a sport in 1963, which means it has been around for a lot longer than many of us realise. It became an Olympic sport in 1984, with an individual all-around event. The group all-around competition was added to the Olympics in 1996. At the international level, rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport. Although men are known to compete. The most prestigious competitions, besides the Olympic Games, are the World Championships, World Games, European Championships, European Games, the World Cup Series and the Grand Prix Series. Gymnasts are judged on their artistry, execution of skills, and difficulty of skills, for which they gain points. They perform leaps, balances, and rotations along with handling the apparatus. Long story short, you need to fit, agile, active and practiced; and it’s not for dummies. Source: among others: Wikipedia.