Sydney Brignole Geography 6th Mr.

Warren 9/28/10

Why of Where: Why has the Russian gymnastics program been more
successful in competition than any other country?
Through the years Russia, formerly known as the Soviet Union, has dominated the Olympic games with their large amounts of success in gymnastics. The Russian men and women are the front runners for the amount accumulative metals throughout all Olympic gymnastics competitions since its beginning. So where does this success come from? Russia is the largest country in the world and has the ninth largest population out of nearly two-hundred countries. When there are more people in a country then there are more chances to find and train dedicated and talented athletes. Also, Russias climate is typically cold. Russia is home to long winters and short summers which is ideal for a gymnast. Now, because of the amounts success in Russian gymnastics years before , it has become part of Russian tradition for many to fulfill. Gymnastics includes being in an indoor gymnasium with special equipment and close watching and training. The cool temperatures that surround Russia most likely draw athletes away from outdoor sports and so naturally Russia was the perfect place for gymnastics to plant itself and make its mark. Since the physical aspect of Russia promotes indoor training this also leads to practice year round. When practicing year round it creates an intense atmosphere for the athletes. Through the era of the Soviet Union the strong tradition of good training evolved into the hundreds of high level distinguished gymnastic clubs all throughout Russia. In the beginning of Soviet gymnastics, the people believed that certain children were to be chosen for training and that child should be disciplined before the process started. They decided that when a child was six or seven years old it would be the best time to begin their process of making them a prominent gymnast. Once a child was twelve then they were sent to gymnastics boarding schools called intranets. Not all of these customs are still functioning but there are still many of their gymnastics traditions that are. Some Russian culture also promotes grace and personality, which they view as a big part of gymnastics. Through the years people have talked about the Russian teams as being fun and full of energy, which gives them an upside in the sport. The Russians continue to uphold their good reputation through their culture and traditions. Though gymnastics has existed for over two thousand years, within the last hundred it has grown into a world-renowned sport and Russia has made its mark on the gymnastics world. Though our knowledge of their success is growing and the success of other countries is growing there isnt a doubt that Russia will be able to continue their success through their culture and traditions of gymnastics.

Sydney Brignole Geography 6th Mr. Warren 9/28/10

Bibliography
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Sydney Brignole Geography 6th Mr. Warren 9/28/10

VanDeusen, Amy. "Olympic Gymnastics Medalists in Women's Team." Gymnastics -- All About the Sport of Gymnastics. The New York Times Company, 2010. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://gymnastics.about.com/od/majorcompetitions/ a/team_medalists.htm>.