balance beam

     

The balance beam is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. In most circumstances, it is only use by female gymnasts.

Trivia about balance beam

  • Gymnasts run & somersault on this 4-inch wide apparatus
  • In 2008 gymnast Shawn Johnson kept her equilibrium & got Olympic gold in this event
  • The 4 basic events in women's gymnastics are floor exercise, uneven parallel bars, vault & this event
  • This apparatus used in women's gymnastics is about 4 in. wide & 16 ft. long
  • Friedrich Jahn of Germany invented this gymnastics event that uses a surface 16 feet long & 4 inches wide
  • In 1972 Nancy Thies became the first to do a backflip on this piece of equipment
  • This apparatus that female gymnasts compete on is just 4 inches wide, so don't lose your equilibrium