[B.1] What are the most prestigious meets?
To win the Olympics is the ultimate dream of many top gymnasts. World championships is right behind that, and just as high up there with some people. For the European countries, European championships are very high on the list, because most of the top gymnasts come from Europe. The equivalent other continental championships (Asian Games, Pan Am Games, etc.) are certainly big meets but not as prestigious. There are many international invitationals that are highly regarded, too: the Chunichi Cup in Japan and the DTB Cup in Germany are probably the two biggest ones.
[B.2] What is Olympic Order?
A defined order in which the gymnasts usually compete their events. Here they are, with their common abbreviations in parentheses:
| Men | Women |
|---|---|
| Floor Exercise (FX) | Vault (V) |
| Pommel Horse (PH) | Uneven Bars (UB) |
| Still Rings (SR or R) | Balance Beam (B) |
| Vault (VT) | Floor Exercise (FX) |
| Parallel Bars (PB) | |
| High Bar (HB) |
[B.3] How does a gymnast know when to start his/her routine?
The Secretary will signal the gymnast -- usually with a green flag, wave of the hand, or light -- when the judges are ready for the gymnast to begin his/her routine. The gymnast returns this signal by presenting him/herself to the judges by raising one or both arms. At small meets, a judge will often just raise his/her hand or nod to the gymnast as a signal to begin.
[B.4] What is podium training?
At most international meets, the competition apparatus is raised off the floor and set on podiums. Thus, when the gymnasts are practicing on this raised competition equipment, it's called podium training. Podium training is usually well defined with each team assigned to a time slot, with organizers leading the gymnasts from event to event.
[B.5] What are compulsories?
Compulsories are routines that have been defined before an event, that every gymnast must perform at the meet. The same compulsory is used for four years and changes after every Olympics. Compulsories will be dropped internationally after the 1996 Olympics. Most countries use compulsories for their younger kids, though, and so compulsories will certainly continue to exist in the gymnastics world in some fashion.
[B.6] How do they pick the Olympic/Worlds teams?
Each country is different. Usually, the teams are either hand picked or selected through competition results (or a bit of both). In the US, the selection procedure has historically been to use a combination of scores at national championships and an Olympic/World Trials; the procedure is determined by a committee and then the procedures must be submitted to the USOC for approval before they are finalized.
[B.7] What are the upcoming competitions? How do I get tickets?
Check out the Gym Calendar for full details on competitions: