History of Gymnastics

History Gymnastics has existed for over 2,000 years, but its development as a competitive sport began just a little more than 100 years ago. During the 1800s, various school clubs, athletic clubs and ethnic organizations, such as the Turnvereins and Sokols conducted mass and individual exhibitions. Gymnastics did flourish in the Turnvereins and Sokols. Such immigrants as Charles Beck, Charles Follen and Francis Lieber introduced it to the United States and its school systems in the 1830s. …

…At the 1924 Games in Paris, the basis of modern Olympic gymnastics competition was firmly established. The 1928 Games witnessed the debut of the first women's event, the team combined exercise, won by the Netherlands. The U.S. women first competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. USA Gymnastics became the national governing body of the sport in the United States in 1970 and remains as such today. Citation: http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/gymnastics/history/artistic.html