Gymnastics is an activity involving the performance of exercises requiring strength, flexibility, balance and control. Internationally, all events are governed by the
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). Each country has its own national governing body (BIW) affiliated to FIG. Competitive
artistic gymnastics is the best known of the gymnastic events. It typically involves the women's events of
vault,
uneven bars,
balance beam, and
floor exercise. Men's events are
floor exercise,
pommel horse,
still rings,
vault,
parallel bars, and
the high bar. Gymnastics evolved from exercises used by the ancient
Greeks that included skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and from circus performance skills.
