World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships[1][2] are the world championships for artistic gymnastics governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). The first edition of the championships was held in 1903, exclusively for male gymnasts. Since the tenth edition of the tournament, in 1934, women's events are held together with men's events.

The FIG was founded in 1881 and was originally entitled FEG (Fédération Européenne de Gymnastique), but changed its name in 1921, becoming the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG);[3] this name change roughly correlates with the actual naming of the World Championships. Although the first such games were held in 1903, they were not initially entitled the 'World Championships'. The first competition ever actually referred to as a 'World Championships' was a competition held in 1931 that, while referred to in an official FIG publication as the "First Artistic Men's World Championships",[4] often seems to go ignored by various authorities in the sport. The championships prior to the 1930s, beginning back in 1903, would eventually be recognized, retroactively, as the World Championships.[3]

Although the FIG had changed its name from the FEG back in 1921, the true transcontinental nature of the sport would not start to change at the World Championship level until a substantially later time. Perhaps the first non-European delegation to participate at a World Championships was Mexico, which sent a men's team who travelled all the way to compete at the 1934 Worlds in Budapest,[5] a trans-Atlantic endeavor they repeated at the 1948 London Summer Olympics - a rare non-European delegation appearance even 14 years later.

It was at those same 1934 World Championships in Budapest that there was finally the first-ever women's competition[6]: 45 [7] at a world championships, despite women having participated in various world championships since the first such international competition in 1903.[8]

Perhaps the first African contingent was the Egyptian one which offered forth a full male team at the 1950 World Championships in Basel. By the time of these World Championships, a total of 60 male athletes from 6 countries and 53 female athletes from 7 countries comprised the competitive field.[9] By the 2013 World Championships, the competition had grown to include 264 men from 71 countries and 134 women from 57 countries.[9] As of 2023, over fifty editions of the championships have been staged, and over fifty countries have earned medals in artistic gymnastics events.

The most successful nation, both in gold medal results and total number of medals, is the former Soviet Union (not including medals from its successor states), and China is the second. The United States is the third most successful country in gold medal results while Japan is the third in total number of medals. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the traditional powerhouses in men's and women's individual still had expressive results: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, China, United States, Japan, and Romania. The last two decades were marked by increasing results from two emerging powers: Great Britain and Brazil and at the same period a big decrease in results from Belarus, Romania and Ukraine. After a busy schedule and some tests which led to the holding of two separate world championships in 1994 (one for individual events and one for teams), it was decided that in each Olympic year the championship would not be held and that the edition held in the subsequent year of the Games, only the competition individual would be held. However, this cycle was broken in 2021,when the COVID-19 pandemic led to the 2020 Summer Olympics to be delayed by one year, the edition scheduled for that year was not cancelled. While the Games were held between July to August 2021, the World Championships was allocated to the end of the same year.

Editions edit

YearEditionHost CityCountryEvents
(men/women)
First in the Medal TableSecond in the Medal TableThird in the Medal Table
19031Antwerp  Belgium6 / 0  France  Luxembourg  Netherlands
19052Bordeaux  France5 / 0  France  Netherlands  Belgium
19073Prague  Austria-Hungary5 / 0  Bohemia  France  Belgium
19094Luxembourg  Luxembourg5 / 0  France  Italy  Bohemia
19115Turin  Italy6 / 0  Bohemia  Italy  France
19136Paris  France6 / 0  Italy  France  Bohemia
19227Ljubljana  Yugoslavia6 / 0  Yugoslavia  Czechoslovakia  France
19268Lyon  France6 / 0  Czechoslovakia  Yugoslavia  France
19309Luxembourg  Luxembourg7 / 0  Yugoslavia  Czechoslovakia  Hungary
1931UnnumberedParis  France6 / 0
193410Budapest  Hungary8 / 2  Switzerland  Czechoslovakia  Germany
193811Prague  Czechoslovakia8 / 6  Czechoslovakia  Switzerland  Yugoslavia
195012Basel   Switzerland8 / 6  Switzerland  Poland  Sweden
195413Rome  Italy8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  Czechoslovakia
195814Moscow  Soviet Union8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  Czechoslovakia
196215Prague  Czechoslovakia8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  Czechoslovakia
196616Dortmund  West Germany8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  Czechoslovakia
197017Ljubljana  SFR Yugoslavia8 / 6  Japan  Soviet Union  East Germany
197418Varna  Bulgaria8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  East Germany
197819Strasbourg  France8 / 6  Soviet Union  Japan  United States
197920Fort Worth  United States8 / 6  Soviet Union  United States  Romania
198121Moscow  Soviet Union8 / 6  Soviet Union  East Germany  China
198322Budapest  Hungary8 / 6  Soviet Union  China  Romania
198523Montreal  Canada8 / 6  Soviet Union  China  East Germany
198724Rotterdam  Netherlands8 / 6  Soviet Union  Romania  China
198925Stuttgart  West Germany8 / 6  Soviet Union  Romania  China
199126Indianapolis  United States8 / 6  Soviet Union  China  Romania
199227Paris  France6 / 4  CIS  China  United States
199328Birmingham  Great Britain7 / 5  Belarus  United States  Romania
199429Brisbane  Australia7 / 5  Belarus  Romania  China
 United States
199430Dortmund  Germany1 / 1  China
 Romania
 Russia
199531Sabae  Japan8 / 6  China  Ukraine  Romania
199632San Juan  Puerto Rico6 / 4  Russia  Romania  Belarus
199733Lausanne   Switzerland8 / 6  Romania  Russia  China
199934Tianjin  China8 / 6  Russia  China  Romania
200135Ghent  Belgium8 / 6  Romania  Russia  Bulgaria
200236Debrecen  Hungary6 / 4  Romania  China  United States
200337Anaheim  United States8 / 6  China  United States  Japan
200538Melbourne  Australia7 / 5  United States  China  Slovenia
200639Aarhus  Denmark8 / 6  China  Romania  Australia
200740Stuttgart  Germany8 / 6  China  United States  Germany
200941London  Great Britain7 / 5  China  United States  Romania
201042Rotterdam  Netherlands8 / 6  China  Russia  United States
201143Tokyo  Japan8 / 6  China  United States  Russia
201344Antwerp  Belgium7 / 5  Japan  United States  China
201445Nanning  China8 / 6  United States  China  North Korea
201546Glasgow  Great Britain8 / 6  United States  Japan  Russia
201747Montreal  Canada7 / 5  China  Japan  Russia
201848Doha  Qatar8 / 6  United States  China  Russia
201949Stuttgart  Germany8 / 6  United States  Russia  Great Britain
202150Kitakyushu  Japan7 / 5  China  Japan  Italy
202251Liverpool  Great Britain8 / 6  United States  China  Japan
202352Antwerp  Belgium8 / 6  United States  Japan  China
202553Jakarta  Indonesia7 / 5Future event
202654Rotterdam  Netherlands8 / 6Future event[10]
202755Chengdu  China8 / 6Future event

† There seems to be a history of inconsistency from the FIG's publications regarding whether these 1931 games are considered to be a World Championships. About these games, it is written in a 100-year Anniversary publication from 1981, that Following "agreements, objections, and discussions" this manifestation was called "World Championships",[6]: 84  however on the following page of that same publication, it is stated "Logically, the manifestations of the 50th anniversary of the FIG cannot be placed among the official competitions".[6]: 85  Additionally, in a 125-year Anniversary Publication from 2006, it is said about these games "Premiers concours sous l’appellation Championnats du Monde de Gymnastique artistique masculine a Paris",[11]: 13  yet they were referred to as "unofficial"[11]: 35  and their results were omitted from the results section of that book.[11]: 64  As it currently stands (as of as recently as 2021), about these games in 1931, the FIG states “1931 First Artistic Men's World Championships held in Paris.”[3]

All-time medal table edit

Last updated after the 2023 World Championships.

Men's events edit

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  China693730136
2  Soviet Union614631138
3 Japan505661167
4  France25292074
5  Switzerland19151448
6  Czechoslovakia18161448
7  Yugoslavia179834
8  Italy1492346
9  Russia13211448
10  Romania129526
11  Belarus1271130
12  United States10121638
13  Bohemia [a]1081028
14  Hungary910524
15  Greece73212
16  Great Britain610622
17  Germany691227
18  East Germany661426
19  South Korea62311
20  North Korea6028
21  Netherlands55212
22  CIS [c]52310
23  Ukraine491427
24  Bulgaria461121
25  Brazil44311
26  Slovenia3407
27  Finland2529
28  West Germany2518
29  Spain2316
30  Philippines2226
31  Turkey2103
32  Ireland2013
33  Croatia1315
34  Israel1236
35  Australia1225
 Poland1225
37  Luxembourg1045
38  Armenia1023
39  Kazakhstan1012
40  Belgium0448
41  Canada0347
42  Cuba0224
43  Chinese Taipei0213
 Latvia0213
45  Austria-Hungary [b]0112
 Jordan0112
47  Mexico0101
48  Azerbaijan0011
 Puerto Rico0011
Russian Gymnastics Federation [e]0011
 Sweden0011
 Uzbekistan0011
Unattached athlete [d]0011
Total4203853761181

Women's events edit

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  United States564331130
2  Soviet Union504028118
3  Romania363637109
4  China23231864
5  Russia23222267
6  Czechoslovakia1613635
7  East Germany1171533
8  Japan531119
9  Brazil45514
10  Great Britain42612
11  Poland40711
12  Ukraine34512
13  Sweden3115
14  Hungary25310
14  North Korea2316
16  Belgium2024
17  Belarus2002
18  Italy13610
19  Germany1247
20  Australia1225
 Uzbekistan1225
22  Austria1113
Russian Gymnastics Federation [e]1113
24  Bulgaria1023
25  Spain1012
26  Canada0426
27  Netherlands0314
28  Yugoslavia0202
29  France0178
30  CIS [c]0123
31  Switzerland0112
32  Algeria0101
33  Cuba0011
 Mexico0011
 South Korea0011
 Vietnam0011
Total254231234719

Overall edit

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Soviet Union1118659256
2 China926048200
3 United States665547168
4 Japan555972186
5 Romania484542135
6 Russia364336115
7 Czechoslovakia34292083
8 France25302782
9 Switzerland19161550
10 East Germany17132959
11  Yugoslavia1711836
12 Italy15122956
13 Belarus1471132
14 Hungary1115834
15 Great Britain10121234
16 Bohemia [a]1081028
17 Brazil89825
18 North Korea83314
19 Ukraine7131939
20 Germany7111634
21 Greece73212
22 South Korea62412
23 Netherlands58316
24  Bulgaria561324
25 CIS [c]53513
26  Poland52916
27  Slovenia3407
28  Spain3328
29  Sweden3126
30  Finland2529
31  West Germany2518
32  Belgium24612
33 Australia24410
34 Philippines2226
35  Turkey2103
36  Ireland2013
37  Croatia1315
38  Israel1236
Uzbekistan1236
40Russian Gymnastics Federation [e]1124
41  Austria1113
42  Luxembourg1045
43 Armenia1023
44  Kazakhstan1012
45 Canada07613
46 Cuba0235
47  Chinese Taipei0213
 Latvia0213
49  Austria-Hungary [b]0112
 Jordan0112
 Mexico0112
52  Algeria0101
53  Azerbaijan0011
 Puerto Rico0011
 Vietnam0011
Unattached athlete [d]0011
Totals (55 entries)6746166101900
Notes

Statistics edit

Multiple gold medalists edit

Boldface denotes active artistic gymnasts and highest medal count among all artistic gymnasts (including those not included in these tables) per type.

Men edit

All events edit
RankArtistic gymnastCountryFromToGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Vitaly Scherbo  Soviet Union
 CIS
 Belarus
19911996127423
2Kōhei Uchimura  Japan20092018106521
3Joseph Martinez  France1903190910111
4Yuri Korolyov  Soviet Union1981198793113
5Dmitry Bilozerchev  Soviet Union198319878412
6Li Xiaopeng  China1997200582111
7Marian Drăgulescu  Romania200120158210
8Chen Yibing  China2006201188
9Eizō Kenmotsu  Japan1970197975315
10Alexander Dityatin  Soviet Union1978198172312
Akinori Nakayama  Japan1966197072312
Individual events edit
RankArtistic gymnastCountryFromToGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Vitaly Scherbo  Soviet Union
 CIS
 Belarus
19911996117422
2Kōhei Uchimura  Japan2009201893416
3Marian Drăgulescu  Romania200120158210
4Dmitry Bilozerchev  Soviet Union198319877310
5Joseph Martinez  France19031909718
6Yuri Korolyov  Soviet Union198119876219
7Eugen Mack  Switzerland193419385319
8Alois Hudec *  Czechoslovakia19311938538
Marco Torrès  France19091913538
10Akinori Nakayama  Japan1966197052310
Alexei Nemov  Russia1995200352310
Note

* Alois Hudec of Czechoslovakia won 3 individual gold medals at the commemorative competition which was held in Paris, France, in 1931 and referred to as the "First Artistic Men's World Championships". However, as stated before there has been a history of inconsistency from the FIG's publications as to the recognition of the official or unofficial status of this event. [6]: 84–85 [11]: 13, 35, 64 [3] Without the medals he won at this competition, Hudec would not occupy a place on this Top 10 list.

Women edit

All events edit
RankArtistic gymnastCountryFromToGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Simone Biles  United States20132023234330
2Svetlana Khorkina  Russia1994200398320
3Gina Gogean  Romania1993199792415
4Larisa Latynina (Diriy)  Soviet Union1954196694114
5Ludmilla Tourischeva  Soviet Union1970197472211
6Daniela Silivaș  Romania1985198972110
7Simona Amânar  Romania199419996410
8Nellie Kim  Soviet Union1974197954211
Yelena Shushunova  Soviet Union1985198754211
10Lavinia Miloșovici  Romania1991199653513
Individual events edit
RankArtistic gymnastCountryFromToGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Simone Biles  United States20132023184325
2Svetlana Khorkina  Russia1994200395216
3Gina Gogean  Romania1993199762412
4Larisa Latynina  Soviet Union1958196263110
5Daniela Silivaș  Romania19851989617
6Ludmilla Tourischeva  Soviet Union197019745229
7Maxi Gnauck  East Germany19791983516
Shannon Miller  United States19911994516
9Yelena Shushunova  Soviet Union198519874329
10Helena Rakoczy  Poland19501954437
Note

Few non-primary sources state that at the 1938 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, in Prague, Vlasta Děkanová of Czechoslovakia won 2 or 3 golds on multiple apparatuses. According to some sources, Děkanová and her compatriot Matylda Pálfyová shared gold medals in parallel bars (this event was replaced with uneven bars in the women's program at all subsequent world championships), while others state that Pálfyová shared this victory with Polish gymnast Marta Majowska, not Děkanová. The only primary source on the subject, a book officially released by the International Gymnastics Federation containing the results of the World Championships from 1903 to 2005, informs that medals were distributed only in the team all-around event and in the individual all-around event. Therefore, according to official reports, Děkanová's official number of gold medals is four, two in individual all-round (1934 and 1938) and two in team events (1934 and 1938) - not six or seven.[11]

Best results of top nations by event edit

Men's results edit

Only nations with medals in five or more events are listed. Positions below third place are not taken into account. Results for Germany and West Germany have been combined.

Event
BEL

BLR

BOH

BUL

CHN

CIS

FIN

FRA

GBR

GDR

GER

ITA

JPN

ROU

RUS

SUI

TCH

UKR

URS

USA

YUG
Team
Individual all-around
Floor exercise
Pommel horse
Still rings
Vault
Parallel bars
Horizontal bar

Women's results edit

Only nations with medals in three or more events are listed. Positions below eighth place are not taken into account. Results for Germany and West Germany have been combined.

Event
AUS

AUT

BRA

CAN

CHN

FRA

GBR

GDR

GER

HUN

ITA

JPN

NED

POL

ROU

RUS

SWE

TCH

UKR

URS

USA
Team 6 6 5
Individual all-around 5 6 5
Vault 56
Uneven bars6 8
Balance beam 4
Floor exercise 5

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "47th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships MONTREAL (CAN)". live.fig-gymnastics.com. Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  2. ^ "48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships DOHA (QAT)". www.fig-gymnastics.com. Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  3. ^ a b c d "History". Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique.
  4. ^ Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (2005). 125th Anniversary - The story goes on... FIG. p. 15.
  5. ^ Macanovic, Hrvoje (June 8, 1934). "X medunarodne gimnastičke utakmice u Budimpešti" [X International Gymnastics Matches in Budapest.]. Sokolsky Glasnik (in Slovenian). Vol. 5, no. 24. p. 6. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d Huguenin, Andre. 100 Years of the International Gymnastics Federation: 1881-1981 (PDF). Translated by Unger, Beatrice. International Gymnastics Federation.
  7. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1934: Women Compete at the World Championships for the First Time". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1903: Women's Gymnastics at the First World Championships". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Grossfeld, Abie (June 2014). "Changes during the 110 Years of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships". Science of Gymnastics Journal. 6 (2): 6. ISSN 1855-7171.
  10. ^ "Rotterdam will host the 2026 Artistic Word Championships and Lisbon the 2027 World Gymnaestrada". International Gymnastics Federation. May 27, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g The Story Goes On: 125 Ans/Years Federation Internationale Gymnastique 1881-2006 (PDF) (in French and English). International Gymnastics Federation.
  12. ^ a b FIG - Official historical results

External links edit