TeamGym is a form of competition created by the European Union of Gymnastics. The first official competition was held in Finland in 1996. Originally named EuroTeam, TeamGym received its current name in 2002. From 1996 to 2008, the European Championships was an event for clubs; since 2010 the competition is contested with national teams representing different countries. TeamGym events consist of three sections: women, men and mixed teams. Athletes perform gymnastic skills in three different disciplines: floor, tumbling and trampette. In common for the performance is effectiveteamwork, good technique in the elements and spectacular acrobatic skills.
Events
Floor
All members of the Team take part in the floor program, composed of a mixture of dance, flexibility and skill. The routine has to be skillfully choreographed and the judgeslook out for changes in shape. There needs to be at least two spins, two jumps/leaps, two acrobatic elements, two balance/power elements, two section elements and one combination of elements. These section elements are bodywaves for women's teams, power elements for men's teams and lifts for mixed teams. Floor routines are performed to music.
A trampette is a small square trampoline used in gymnastics. In TeamGym, the trampette is positioned at the end of a runway in front of a mat. The trampette is adjusted at an angle, tilted towards the gymnast, who approaches the trampette at a run. The gymnast jumps onto the trampette and performs a somersault, landing on the mat. Part of the TeamGym trampette program is performed with a vaulting apparatus, which is positioned between the trampette and the mat. Trampette programs are performed to music. Each team completes three consecutive rounds. During each round, six gymnasts perform one run each. At least one round is performed using the vaulting apparatus. Each athlete closely follows the previous athlete without pause, making for a high-speed program. This is referred to as "streaming". There are two components of this section of this programme. Vault with the trampette and trampette on its own. Six gymnasts perform each run and they use a technique known as 'streaming' which means performing very close together e.g. one person hits the trampette and the next starts running. At least one of the three total runs that the gymnasts make, must be a vault run. Generally the first round is chosen for each individual gymnast to perform the same move. Beginners usually start with simple jumps, such as the straight, tuck, star, straddle and pike jumps. Intermediate moves include dive rolls, tuck front, pike front, and straight front somersaults, while advanced moves include straight halves, straight fulls and doubles. Backward moves such as tuck backs, straight backs or whip backs are not usually performed on a trampette because the gymnast approaches the trampette at a forward run, making it difficult to land such moves.
Tumbling
Again, here there are three runs involved. One of which has to include all six gymnasts doing a forwards series. Another run also has to include the gymnasts completing the same move. Each series must have at least three different acrobatic elements.
European TeamGym Championships
The European TeamGym Championships, previously known as the Euroteam Championships, is a competition organized by the European Union of Gymnastics in the sport of TeamGym.
