Its almost impossible to imagine the Summer Olympics without gymnastics.
Just over 100 years ago, it was almost unrecognizable.
(Its a healthy balance of How is that humanly possible?
Central Press/Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images/Amanda K Bailey
and How was that socially normal?)
A little context might make you enjoy the 2024 Games even more.
1908
Danish gymnasts on the balance beam at the Summer Olympics at White City Stadium in London.
Danish gymnasts on the balance beam at the Summer Olympics at White City Stadium in London. The 1908 Games had no competitive women’s gymnastics events; instead, women gymnasts demonstrated their skills in noncompetitive “displays.”
A Danish gymnast performing on a gymnastic pommel horse during a display at the 1908 London Olympics.
A whole new kind of impressive.
1920
A mens gymnastics group in a configuration at the Olympics.
A Danish gymnast performing on a gymnastic pommel horse during a display at the 1908 London Olympics.
The more I look at this photo, the more questions I have.
1924
An ensemble movement on the parallel bars by the female French gymnasts at the Paris Olympics.
This looks eerily similar to my last group pilates class.
A men’s gymnastics group in a configuration at the Olympics.
1928
The French womens gymnastics team competes in the eight-meter rope climb in Amsterdam.
1936
A German gymnast performs on the parallel bars at the Berlin Olympics.
German gymnast Kate Sohnemann competes in the womens gymnastics team event in Berlin as her teammates watch on.
An ensemble movement on the parallel bars by the female French gymnasts at the Paris Olympics.
Members of the 1936 US womens gymnastics team do stretches onboard the SSManhattanen route from New York to Berlin.
Thankfully, modern beams have padding and grip to meet athletes at their skill level.
1972
Soviet Union gymnast Olga Korbut performs on the uneven bars at the Munich Olympic Games.
The French women’s gymnastics team competes in the eight-meter rope climb in Amsterdam.
1984
Mary Lou Retton competes on the vault at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
She left the 1984 games with more medals than any other athlete.
After those early-20th-century outdoor gymnastics snapshots, I canfeelthe air conditioning in this photo.
A German gymnast performs on the parallel bars at the Berlin Olympics.
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German gymnast Kate Sohnemann competes in the women’s gymnastics team event in Berlin as her teammates watch on.
Members of the 1936 US women’s gymnastics team do stretches onboard the SSManhattanen route from New York to Berlin.
Cissie Davies of Great Britain on the balance beam at Empress Hall, Earl’s Court, during the gymnastics events at the London Olympic Games.
Muriel Davis-Grossfeld of the United States performs on the beam during the Olympic Games at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Soviet Union gymnast Olga Korbut performs on the uneven bars at the Munich Olympic Games.
Romanian champion Nadia Comaneci performs during the women’s beam of the artistic gymnastics event of the Montreal Olympic Games.
Mary Lou Retton competes on the vault at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
The United States women’s gymnastics team becomes the first American team to win the all-around Olympic gold medal.
An overhead view of the men’s gymnastics team during their training for the 2000 Sydney Olympics at the Sydney SuperDome lends a behind-the-scenes look at a modern Olympic gymnasium.
Team USA’s Nastia Liukin in action: vault during women’s individual all-around final at the Beijing Olympics.
Simone Biles, Lauren Hernandez, Alexandra Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas, and Madison Kocian of the United States celebrate winning the gold medal during the artistic gymnastics women’s team final on day four of the Rio Olympic Games.
Simone Biles of Team USA in action during the women’s balance beam final on day 11 of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
