Rhythmic gymnastics falls midway between art and sport. It is practiced exclusively by women and performed to music. The athletes use small hand apparatus: the rope, hoop, ribbon or clubs. The spectacular appeal of rhythmic gymnastics with its grace, harmony and beauty is enormous. At the world class level the difficulty of body movements performed in combination with skillful handling of the apparatus is fascinating. In order to get to this level, a rhythmic gymnast needs natural talent plus the ability to handle hard training which develops strength, flexibility, jumping abilities, spatial orientation, stamina, and great handling skills with the apparatus.

Rhythmic gymnastics is primarily about developing personal style and an ability to get one's own artistic message and charisma across to the audience. All routines are performed to music. During the exercise the apparatus must be in constant motion: movements with great variety of shape, amplitude, direction, plane and speed need to be performed. Composing the routines is based on including in it some fundamental groups of body movements and defined technical groups in apparatus usage.

Individual Rhythmic Gymnastics features in The World Games – the group event is on the Olympic program.

sport rules link: