Olympic Hooping in Rio 2016 Rhythmic Gymnastics

Olympic hula hooping

RhythmicGymnasticsRio2016OlympicLogoHoop Dance in the Olympics

You can see Olympic “hula hooping” under the category of “Rhythmic Gymnastics.” Add more dance, flair and a flow prop like the hoop (also ball, ribbon, & clubs) to the tumbling, flexibility and strength of “artistic” gymnastics. Then take away the various apparatus (balance beam, uneven bars, vault) and compiled it all in a floor routine (with one gymnast or other team mates performing all at once)–and well, you’d have this hybrid sport worthy of the 5 famous Olympic rings.

Want to see some extreme flexibility? This is definitely your “pull up a chair and be awe-inspired” time. These gals train on an average 6-8 hours every day (sorry, no boys category just yet).

 Representing theUnited States in Rhythmic gymnastics are Laura Zeng, Kristen Shaldybin, Monica Rokhman, Alisa Kano and Kiana Eide. This is only the 2nd time the U.S. has qualified for the team all around competition–quite an honor when you see how talented the whole field is!

Here’s a sneak peak at our team in action.

Here’s the Rhythmic Gymnastics schedule so you can set your dvr and absorb every ounce of NBC/Universal/Comcast television coverage. (They may Live-stream more online/or via the app–check your local listings). All competition held at the Rio Olympic Arena in Rio de Jenaro in Brazil. Air times* below are listed in MST (Mountain Standard Time)
*Make SURE you check your own local listings! Event schedules do get shifted around and so do the times they are presented. (I already found some time differences with our local cable provider. Viewer TIP Update: Use your mobile device to Live Stream–I was only able to live-stream with the NBC app, because apparently the two companies are in contract disputes, leaving the computer version “not available due to location restrictions or authorization failures.”)
(click here for time zone conversion).
www.nbcolympics.com/live-stream-schedule


Rhythmic gymnastics
Women’s individual all-around

Qualification 
Rotation One    Fri, Aug 19, 7:20 AM (MST)
Rotation Two    Fri, Aug 19, 8:50 AM (MST)
Rotation Three Fri, Aug 19, 11:50 AM (MST)
Rotation Four   Fri, Aug 19, 1:20 PM (MST)

Final
Rotation One    Sat, Aug 20, 12:20 PM (MST)
Rotation Two    Sat, Aug 20, 12:53 PM (MST)
Rotation Three Sat, Aug 20, 1:26 PM (MST)
Rotation Four   Sat, Aug 20, 1:26 PM (MST)

Women’s Team All-Around

Qualification

All Rotations      Sat, Aug 20, 7:00 AM (MST)

Final
Rotation One     Sun, Aug 21, 8:00 AM (MST)
Rotation Two     Sun, Aug 21, 8:50 AM (MST)
Plus Medal Ceremony following the competition

Enjoy the games! For us hoopers, this event is the icing on our cake!
For more information, please check out this previous article on Olympic hooping.
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Hoop Love, Ya’ll~Che’ Rippinger, Founder of Hip The Hoopla
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USA RhthymicGymnasticsTeam2016

And for another bit of HOOPING Awesomeness: World respected American hooper, Rachael Lust (of Ohio, USA) in the German commercial promoting the Olympics, of course…but as we all know…hooping in Rio!!! In-Joy! ♥ ☻

~Che’ Rippinger is Hip The Hoopla‘s CHO (Chief Hooping Officer)/Owner/Founder and head humorist, with heart. She’s been hula hooping since 2008 and founded Hip The Hoopla in 2011 – while teaching, performing and making pro custom dance hula hoops. A dancer most of her life (30+years), Che’ has also been a humor writer/columnist, illustrator and cartoonist for The Denver Post and her Touché! Cartoons have been featured in PLAYGIRL Magazine.


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Olympic Hula Hooping-Rythymic Gymnastics

Hooping in the Olympics!

What is Rhythmic Gymnastics?

 

Rhythmic Gymnast with Hoop

Did you know the (hula) hoop is an apparatus in the world Olympic championship games? There’s also ribbons, clubs and balls (and sometimes ropes). These gymnasts may have a different shape and look when you see them perform (tall, long and lean). Their elements are dance, while incorporating various props. Tosses, turns, flexibility and gymnastics are visually transitioned and intertwined with dance. They are judge with a 30 point system, 10 points available  in each of three categories:  artistry, difficulty and execution. 30 points is a perfect score. Penalty points can be deducted for mistakes, including dropping the prop.

Why is it that you may have never heard of rhythmic gymnastics, or have a hard time finding these performances? The coverage is pretty sparse. The mainstream “artistic” genre of gymnasts get the majority of promotion in the media and commercial play. But the beauty of both divisions cannot be denied.

Rhythmic gymnastics is judged more on their dance skills and choreography merits. And they also have group performances-some with multiple props, representing their country as a team, in addition to individual single prop performances. In Rhythmic gymnastics, the only competition division is for women.

Artistic Gymnastics (what most people see)

For what most people see, there are men’s and women’s categories for different apparatus. Their apparatus’ are not prop-based, though.  Women get to compete in the divisions of floor exercise, uneven bars, balance beam and vault. The men get to demonstrate their skills on vault, rings, parallel bars, pommel horse, horizontal bar, and floor exercise. There’s also a third category/division of gymnastics in 2012’s Olympics: Trampoline, with both men and women competing.

Coverage of Rhythmic Gymnastics in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England

2012-Olympic Hoop Logo-Rhythmic Gymnastics

2012-Olympic Hoop Logo-Rhythmic Gymnastics

Here’s the schedule and results link for Olympic rhythmic gymnastics in the UK…and their logo is with a HOOP!

 

http://www.nbcolympics.com/rhythmic-gymnastics/results-schedules/index.html Also check out the BBC London coverage.
The competitions for qualifying/elimination rounds into final competitions is August 9, 10, 11, and 12 2012.

OLYMPIC RESULTS (Spoiler alert):

Known for their exquisite ballet training, the Russian Federation took the gold (Evgeniya Kanaeva) & silver (Daria Dmitrieva)  in individual rhythmic gymnastics, and a very happy Liubou Charkashyna of Belarus finally got to move from her many fourth place standings to earn the bronze and step onto her first podium. In the group finals, Russia, Belarus, and Italy placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd medal rankings.

More videos of rhythmic gymnastics

If you are interested in seeing more rhythmic gymnastics, there are a LOT of videos to enjoy from worldwide performances and competitions on YouTube. One of the iconic figures is Anna Bessonova. You can see the extreme flexibility needed for this kind of hoop dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6wY_rZ54_o

Here’s another one of the many videos out there of rhythmic hoop gymnast Irina Tchachina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV5y5_FFEJA

And a video of several examples of rhythmic gymnasts (with different props) in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym6hGDgXeOY&feature=related

Where Can YOU learn to Hoop Dance?

If you want your OWN great flexibility, grace, coordination &  dance style with hooping…try Hip The Hoopla class Tues. 7/31 at 6:30pm. http://www.facebook.com/events/277660339008552/

Classes are offered in Denver, Colorado, USA on Tuesday evenings at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 10am, plus private lessons. Coming soon:  online lessons available worldwide! Please contact Che@HipTheHoopla.com for more info.

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