Chapter 2 - Difficulty in Individual Gymnasts (Part 1)
We know you're coming hungry for more!.
Today we will talk about difficulty in Individual Rhythmic Gymnastics.
In this chapter, we will dissect the section on difficulty for individual category gymnasts (senior international regulations) and we will go relevé (we have to tiptoe because it's quite tricky) through each section (because if we start detailing one by one, we won't finish this post this year: and we're just starting February). But don't worry because yes, we will roll up our sleeves and delve deep into each of the points in the next chapters.
We have divided this post into 2 parts, you can see the second part here:
CHAPTER 1 - DIFFICULTY IN INDIVIDUAL GYMNASTS (PART 2)
How is difficulty evaluated in individual gymnasts.
Composition of the Individual Difficulty score.
Body Difficulties.
Important to incorporate this concept as well: each body difficulty must be combined with a technical element of the apparatus. CHAPTER 3)."If the gymnast does not perform a technical element with the apparatus during the difficulty, the difficulty will not be valid!".
Examples of Body Difficulties to Learn How to Identify Them
Jumps in Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Defined and fixed shape during the jump (when the gymnast is in suspension).
- Sufficient height (elevation) of the jump to display the shape being executed.
BALANCES
Balances in Rhythmic Gymnastics.
- As a general rule, balances are performed (when on one leg) in relevé (on tiptoe), but they can also be performed flat-footed (which would imply subtracting 0.10 from the initial base value of the balance).
Rotations in Rhythmic Gymnastics
- In rhythmic gymnastics, turns are called rotation difficulty, but to avoid confusion with other types of rotations that we will see later, we will call them ROTATIONS when referring to a body difficulty.
- Each rotation will be counted based on what is considered a complete rotation (which will be 360 or 180º depending on the specific type of rotation) and its base value will range from 0.10 to 0.70 points.
- Each additional rotation (counting those 360º or 180º) will additionally add 0.10 or 0.20 depending on the specific rotation performed, but not the base value multiplied by the rotations the gymnast does. That is, if a rotation, for example, has a value of 0.50 and the gymnast does three complete rotations, the value will not be 1.50 (0.50x3) but the base value (0.50) plus the two additional rotations (0.10 or 0.20 each, depending on the rotation).
Combined Difficulties in Rhythmic Gymnastics
As we had seen in the second slide at the beginning of this post, within the composition of the routine, the 9 highest value difficulties will be counted.- Combined difficulties allow linking 2 consecutive body difficulties (jumps, balances, or rotations) that, meeting certain requirements (which we will see later), allow adding the value of the 2 difficulties, but counting it as a single difficulty.
- In each routine, up to 3 combined difficulties can be performed (remember, they add the value of the two difficulties performed), which will allow the gymnast to earn more points in the routine since they are (by adding the value of two) highly valuable difficulties. If well executed, they will almost certainly become part of the 9 highest-scoring ones that will be counted.
We leave you with an example of a combined difficulty, in this case balance + rotation, which, remember, counts as a single difficulty.
Series of Difficulties in Rhythmic Gymnastics
A series is the repetition of the same difficulty, two or more times, performed consecutively.
Body difficulties (jumps, balances, and rotations) cannot be repeated in the routine. They can only be repeated if you perform the difficulty in a series. But what do you mean? Let's take a lunge with trunk flexion backwards as an example: it can be performed either in isolation or in a series of lunges, but it cannot be performed both in isolation (as a single lunge with trunk flexion backwards) and also in a series of lunges with trunk flexion backwards.
Series of difficulties (same difficulty repeated consecutively X times) are not the same concept as combined difficulties (different difficulties, although they belong to the same group, combined without interruption).
In series of difficulties, the value of each difficulty will be counted multiplied by the number of times it has been executed (assuming it is done correctly). The number of difficulties executed will count as individual within the count of the top 9 difficulties. Let's go through a practical example of a series and another one of a combination:
- Series: Series of 3 jumps (lunge with trunk flexion backwards, Value: 0.60). These three difficulties (three identical jumps) performed one after the other count as 3 independent difficulties (with a value of 0.60 each) within the count of the top 9 (as long as the value of these jumps places them in the top 9 of higher value difficulties).
- Combined: Combination of a jump (deer with trunk flexion backwards, Value: 0.40) + a balance (circle without support, Value: 0.40). These two different difficulties executed without interruption count as 1 body difficulty (with a total value of 0.80) within the count of the top 9 (as long as the sum of the value of both places this difficulty, which counts as one, in the top 9 of higher value difficulties).
It is important to note that only series of jumps and rotations can be performed... series of balances do not exist.
- Series are often used to save time in the routine, and can also achieve high values with difficulties that the gymnasts have mastered.
- The most common is to see series of lunges with trunk flexion backwards, where each jump has a value of 0.60. We leave you a video of this series, which counts as 4 difficulties.
JUMPS SERIE: 4 Split Leap with back bend of the trunk, 0.60 points x 4 = 2.40 points
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