Young gymnast on the beam

The balance beam is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes referred to as simply "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is BB.

The beam is a long, narrow beam which is typically raised from the floor on a leg or stand at both ends. The balance beam is only performed by female gymnasts.

The apparatus[link]

Daniele Hypólito performing on the balance beam.

Balance beams used in international gymnastics competitions must conform to the guidelines and specifications set forth by the International Gymnastics Federation Apparatus Norms brochure. Several companies manufacture and sell beams, including AAI (USA), Jannsen and Fritsen (Europe) and Acromat (Australia).

Most gymnastics schools purchase and use balance beams that meet the FIG's standards, but some may also use beams with carpeted surfaces for practice situations. While learning new skills, gymnasts often work on low beams that have the same dimensions and surface of regulation apparatus, but are set a very short distance from the ground. They may also work on practice beams, mini beams or lines on the mat.

Originally, the beam surface was plain polished wood.^[1] In earlier years, some gymnasts competed on a beam made of basketball-like material. However, this type of beam was eventually banned due to its extreme slipperiness. Since the 1980s, beams have been covered in leather or suede. In addition, they are now also sprung to accommodate the stress of high-difficulty tumbling and dance skills.^[2]

Dimensions[link]

Measurements of the apparatus are published by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) in the Apparatus Norms brochure.

• Height: 124 centimetres (4.07 ft)^[3]
• Length: 500 centimetres (16 ft)^[3]
• Width: 4 inches/10 centimeters

Routines[link]

Evolution[link]

In the early days of women's artistic gymnastics, beam was based more in dance than in tumbling. Routines even at the elite level were composed with combinations of leaps, dance poses, handstands, rolls and walkovers. In the 1960s, the most difficult acrobatic skill performed by the average Olympic gymnast was a back handspring.

Balance beam difficulty began to increase dramatically in the 1970s. Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci pioneered advanced tumbling combinations and aerial skills on beam; other athletes and coaches began to follow suit. The change was also facilitated by the transition from wooden beams to safer, less slippery models with suede-covered surfaces. By the mid 1980s, top gymnasts routinely performed flight series and multiple aerial elements on beam.

Today, balance beam routines still consist of a mixture of acrobatic skills, dance elements, leaps and poses, but with significantly greater difficulty.

International level routines[link]

For detailed information on score tabulation, please see the Code of Points article

A beam routine must consist of:^[4]

• A connection of two dance elements, one a leap, jump, or hop with legs in 180 degree split
• A full turn on one foot
• One series of two acrobatic skills
• Acrobatic elements in different directions (forward/sideward and backward)
• A dismount

The gymnast may mount the beam using a springboard or from the mat, however the mount must come from the Code of Points.^[4] The routines can last up to 90 seconds.^[4]

Scoring and rules[link]

Several aspects of the performance determine the gymnast's final mark. All elements in the routine, as well as all errors, are noted by the judges.

Deductions are taken for all errors made while on the beam, including lapses in control, balance checks (i.e., wobbling or stumbling to maintain balance), poor technique and execution, and failure to fulfill the required Code of Points elements. Falls automatically incur a deduction of 0.5.^[5]

Apparatus specific rules[link]

The gymnast may compete barefoot or wear special beam shoes if she so chooses.^[6] She may also chalk her hands and/or feet for added stability on the apparatus. Small markings may also be placed on the beam.^[6]

Once the exercise has started, the gymnast's coach may not spot her or interfere in any way. The only time the gymnast may be accompanied on the podium is in the case of a mount involving a springboard. In this instance, the coach may quickly step in to remove the springboard from the area.^[7]

In the event of a fall, once the athlete is on their feet they have thirty seconds to remount the beam and continue the routine.^[4] If she does not return to the beam within this time limit, she is not permitted to continue.^[4]

Under FIG rules, the maximum allowed time for a balance beam routine is 1:30 minutes.^[4] The routine is timed on the scoreboard timer, which is visible to both the gymnast and judges. In addition, a warning tone or bell is sounded 1:20 into the exercise.^[4] If the gymnast has not left the beam by 1:30, another bell is sounded, and a score deduction is incurred.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Balance beam

Gymnastics portal

• Apparatus description at the FIG website
• History of the balance beam (in German and English)
• US Gym Net's glossary of beam skills

Shawn Johnson
Johnson at "Frosted Pink With a Twist" (breast cancer benefit) held in San Diego, California on September 14, 2008
Personal information
Full name	Shawn Machel Johnson
Nickname(s)	Peanut, Bubbly (ShawnJohnson on Twitter)[1][2]
Country represented	United States
Born	(1992-01-19) January 19, 1992 (age 20)[3] Des Moines, Iowa
Hometown	West Des Moines, Iowa
Height	4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m)[4]
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Years on national team	2004–2008, 2011
Club	Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Head coach(es)	Liang Chow
Assistant coach(es)	Liwen Zhuang
Music	August's Rhapsody from August Rush
Medal record Women's gymnastics Competitor for the  United States Summer Olympics Gold 2008 Beijing Balance beam Silver 2008 Beijing Team Silver 2008 Beijing All-around Silver 2008 Beijing Floor World Championships Gold 2007 Stuttgart Team Gold 2007 Stuttgart All-around Gold 2007 Stuttgart Floor Pan American Games Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro All-around Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Uneven bars Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Balance beam Gold 2011 Guadalajara Team Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Floor Silver 2011 Guadalajara Uneven Bars

Shawn Machel Johnson (born January 19, 1992) is an American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and all-around, and floor exercise silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion, and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion. In 2009, Johnson became the winner of the season eight edition of Dancing with the Stars.

Personal life[link]

Johnson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, the only child of Doug and Teri Johnson. Her parents enrolled her in a gymnastics class at age three after they noticed her climbing cabinets and jumping off tables. At age six, Johnson was one of Liang Chow's first students when he opened a gymnastics school in West Des Moines.^[5]

Johnson attended a public school, Valley High School.^[6] She was on the honor roll, attended football games, and participated in extra-curriculars.^[7] Through 2008, Johnson maintained a more balanced lifestyle than typical of elite female gymnasts.^[8] She limited her gymnastics training to 25 hours per week, as opposed to the more typical 40 hours.^[9]

Johnson left public school in the spring of 2009. She and her mother relocated to Los Angeles, California and she appeared on Dancing With the Stars. As of 2010, she finished high school with a private tutor.^[10][11]

Gymnastics career[link]

Junior career[link]

Pre-elite[link]

In 2004, Johnson competed in the Junior Olympics (U.S. Level 10) National Championships, finishing fourth in the all-around, first on beam, and second on floor.^[12]

As a youngster, Johnson was not scouted by USAG and her coach, Chow, had no interactions with the national staff. In 2005, Chow reached out to the National Team Coordinator, Marta Karolyi, sending her a video of Johnson, with the comment "I believe this kid will help the US team."^[13] Karolyi felt the action was audacious, "Wow, this coach is pretty confident",^[9] but she soon invited Johnson to national team training camps.

Junior elite[link]

Johnson qualified Junior International Elite on her first attempt^{[citation needed]}. She attracted widespread attention at the 2005 U.S. Classic, where she placed third. At the 2005 U.S. National Championships, Johnson fell from the beam on the first day of competition and finished tenth all-around.

In 2006, Johnson added several new tricks, including a Jaeger on bars, and two top-difficulty (G) skills, a full-in back-out dismount off beam and a double-twisting double back on floor. She won the 2006 U.S. Junior National All-Around Championship with a score higher than any of her senior elite competitors.^[14]

Senior career[link]

2007 pre-Worlds[link]

Johnson became a senior in 2007 and continued to show new skills, including a double-twisting double layout dismount off the uneven bars. She competed at the 2007 Tyson American Cup, winning the all-around over teammate Natasha Kelley. Johnson also competed in the 2007 Pan American Games, winning four gold medals (team, all-around, beam and bars) and a silver on floor.

Johnson won the all-around at the 2007 Visa U.S. National Championships, beating Shayla Worley by more than three points. Johnson also finished more than five points ahead of two-time National Champion Nastia Liukin, in the first of a series of face-offs over the next two years.^{[citation needed]}

2007 Panamerican Games[link]

Johnson took part in 2007 Panamerican Games. She won the team title, the all around title, the balance beam title and the uneven bars title. She was the silver medalist on floor.^[15]

2007 World Championships[link]

Johnson represented the U.S. at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships along with Nastia Liukin, Shayla Worley, Alicia Sacramone, Ivana Hong and Samantha Peszek.

In prelims (qualification), Johnson scored 16.250 on beam, 15.150 on floor, 15.175 on vault, and (with a fall on her dismount) 14.625 on bars. The U.S. finished first in prelims and Johnson qualified to the all-around, beam and floor finals.

Johnson performed all four events in the team finals; the only U.S. athlete to do this. Johnson scored 15.375 on bars and floor, and 15.150 on vault. She fell on the beam on her handspring-handspring-layout series and scored 15.025. The team won gold with 184.400 points, 0.950 ahead of silver-medal China. It was the second U.S. team gold in the World Championships.^[16][17]

In the all-around finals, Johnson scored a 15.175 on vault, 15.375 on bars, 15.900 on beam and 15.425 on floor. Her 61.875 total made her the fourth American woman to win the all-around gold medal.^[18]

During event finals, Johnson first competed on the balance beam, where she fell on her standing full and on her switch side leap, scoring a 14.475 and finishing last. In floor exercise, she went out-of-bounds on her first tumbling pass, but won the gold with a 15.250, just eclipsing teammate Sacramone.^[19]

2008 pre-Olympics[link]

Johnson competed again in the American Cup on March 1, 2008 in Madison Square Garden. On vault, she fell on her Amanar vault, scoring a 15.175. She stated^{[citation needed]} that her attempt to "stick" the vault caused the fall. On the other apparatus, she scored 15.625 on bars, 16.325 on beam, and 15.975 on floor. Although Johnson scored first on the vault, balance beam, and floor, she finished second in the all-around. Nastia Liukin, with an uneven bars score nearly a point higher than Johnson's^{[citation needed]} won gold.^{[citation needed]}

One week later, Johnson represented the U.S. in Jesolo, Italy against Italy, Spain, and Poland, along with Jana Bieger, Olivia Courtney, Chelsea Davis, Bridget Sloan, and Samantha Peszek. The U.S. won the junior and senior all-around team titles. Johnson won the all-around with a 61.7, earning the highest scores on vault (15.2), beam (16.2), and floor (15.0^[20]).^{[citation needed]}

On June 7, 2008, Johnson won the 2008 U.S. National Championships. Johnson scored 127.5, winning the all-around title by one point ahead of Liukin. Johnson also won the floor exercise.^{[citation needed]}

Two weeks later, Johnson won the all-around at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, again finishing ahead of Liukin. Because of their top placements, Johnson and Liukin were named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team immediately after the Trials. The other four 2008 team members earned their spots after two additional selection camps.^[21]

2008 Summer Olympics[link]

Johnson performs on the floor at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

At the 2008 Summer Olympics Johnson competed in all four events during the team competition,^[22] in which the United States won the silver medal.^[23] Johnson also won the silver medal in the individual all-around competition, receiving a score of 62.725.^[24] Johnson's teammate and roommate at the Olympic Village,^[25] Nastia Liukin, won the gold medal, receiving a score of 63.325.^[26] With Liukin taking gold and Johnson silver, this competition was the first time that the United States Women's Gymnastics team took both the gold and silver medals in the individual all-around competition; this competition also marks the fourth time a country won both gold and silver medals in the individual all-around competition.^[27]

She won the silver medal in floor exercise, with teammate Liukin taking bronze. She won a gold medal on the balance beam apparatus.^[28] Like the individual all-around, she and Liukin took the top two medals in this event.,^[29][30]

Comeback[link]

Shawn Johnson in San Diego just after her Olympic victory

In January 2010, Johnson tore her ACL while skiing. She had reconstructive knee surgery the following month.

In May 2010, Johnson announced her return to gymnastics training with a goal of making 2012 U.S. Olympic team.^[31]

In August 2010, Johnson communicated that her knee recovered to allow full training and that she had learned a new difficult skill.^[32]

In September 2010, Johnson released videos showing the following skills (training status):^[33] Johnson is planning on starting her comeback at the 2011 Covergirl Classics, and the 2011 Visa Championships, hopeful to make the 2011 World Championships Team.

Vault

• Yurchenko 2.5 "Amanar" (into pit)
• Yurchenko 2.0 (into pit)

Uneven bars

• double twisting double layout dismount (into pit)
• toe-on full pirouette, connected to Geinger salto

Beam

• back handspring, back handspring, full twisting layout (floor line)
• standing full twisting back salto (floor line)
• back handspring, back handspring, layout (low beam)
• switch leap, layout step-out, back pike
• front tuck

Floor exercise

• full twisting double layout (spotted onto pit mat, also unassisted on tumbletrack)
• double layout (unassisted onto pit mat and on tumbletrack)
• whip, double twisting back layout (tumbletrack)
• double pike
• double layout (unassisted on the spring floor)

In November 2010, Johnson performed her first post-Olympics National Team Training Camp. Although she expected to return to the "ranch" later in her comeback, Martha Karolyi requested she appear, based on her demonstrated progress in video. Johnson mentioned that her reconstructed knee still hindered high training volume.^[34]

In February 2011, Johnson became an official member of the USA Senior National team once again, this allows her to compete in international competitions. She has stated that she wishes to return to competition later in 2011.^[35]

In September 2011, Johnson was named as a non-traveling alternate to the 2011 USA Women's World Championships Team.^[36]

In October 2011, Johnson was named to the 2011 Pan American Games Team. She won a gold medal in the team competition and also won a silver medal for her uneven bars performance.^[37]

Honors[link]

Johnson was one of two female athletes to appear on AOL's 100 most searched females on the Internet for 2009, ranked 27th.^[38][39]

A scientific poll commissioned by Forbes magazine concluded Johnson was "America's Most-Liked Sports Figure" in 2009.^[40]

Johnson was also on the top of most appealing athletes on E-score Celebrity metric in 2010,^[41] and she was ranked seventh of America's Favorite Female Sports Stars on Harris Interactive in 2010.^[42]

ESPN announced Johnson's nominations for the 2009 "Best Female U.S. Olympian" Johnson won an ESPY for "Best Female U.S. Olympian" and "Athlete – Female" Teen Choice Award, the latter for the second consecutive year.^[43][44]

On 15 April 2009, Johnson was awarded the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award.^[45] The annual award honors the USA athlete who best represents "the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism."^[46]

Johnson ranked fifth in the Associated Press' 2008 Female Athlete of the Year voting.^[47]

Johnson was the winner of the 2008 Teen Choice Award for best female athlete, although she was not able to accept the honor in person because of Olympic training commitments.^[48] She was the first gymnast to be nominated for the award.^[49]

A life-sized bronze sculpture of Johnson honors the gymnast at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines.^[50]

On 7 September 2007, Johnson received the "Longines Prize for Elegance" in Stuttgart, Germany along with Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita. The prize is given in recognition of athletes who demonstrate remarkable elegance in the course of an international competition at world level; the decision was unanimous. In addition to the trophy, designed by the Swiss artist Piero Travaglini, recipients also receive a wristwatch from the Longines Evidenza collection and a check for $5,000.^[51]

Following Johnson's World Championship performances in 2007, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa proclaimed October 17 "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state.^[52][53]

In Popular culture[link]

[edit] Dancing with the Stars

In February 2009, Johnson became a celebrity competitor on ABC's Dancing with the Stars season eight,^[54] partnered with season six winner, professional dancer Mark Ballas. She is the youngest competitor in show's history. In the finale, tightest in the show's history, Johnson beat Gilles Marini by less than 1%.

On 17 April 2009, she appeared in the music video Do You Love Me by Ballas Hough Band wearing one of her Dancing with the Stars costumes.^[55] Later, she reunited with one of the show hosts, Tom Bergeron, at the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee to discuss her victory.^{[citation needed]}

Other television appearances[link]

Johnson appeared on many talk shows: The Today Show on NBC (26 October 2007, 5 August 2008, and 7 October 2008), CCTV (20 August 2008),^[56] the Late Show with David Letterman (25 August 2008), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (24 August 2008), The Ellen DeGeneres Show (8 October 2007, 9 September 2008, and 12 March 2009), Live with Regis and Kelly (22 October 2008), Jimmy Kimmel Live! (20 May 2009), and Entertainment Tonight (23 episodes, 2009). Along with other Olympians, she appeared on the season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show (8 September 2008).^[57][58]

Johnson made a cameo appearance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager season finale episode "Just Say No," which aired 9 September 2008.^[59] Johnson shot a second episode, "Just Say Me", which aired 25 January 2010.^[60]

Johnson was a celebrity participant in the 2009 Taco Bell All-Star Legends Celebrity Softball Game which aired on ESPN, 13 July 2009.^[61]

Johnson appeared on the celebrity edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire on 13 August 2009. She correctly answered a question about the lyrics to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” winning $50,000 for her chosen charity, Blank Children’s Hospital.^[62]

Johnson presented awards at the 2009 CMT Music Awards and the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.^[58]

She judged the Miss America 2010 pageant along with Rush Limbaugh.^[63]

She was featured on Degrassi: The Next Generation soundtrack in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Shawn Johnson is one of the 26 athletes followed by the BBC as part of the World Olympic Dreams series.

Public appearances[link]

Johnson led the Pledge of Allegiance on 28 August 2008 at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.^{[64][65][66][67][68][69]}

On 27 July 2009, Johnson led the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field.^[70]

Gymnastic tours[link]

From September to November 2008, Johnson was a marquee member of The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars.^[71][72] Recorded sections of the tour's second show were included in Frosted Pink with a Twist, which is a television special about women's cancers (Johnson has a grandmother who is a cancer survivor).^[64][73] The television special also featured singers Jesse McCartney, Kenny Loggins, and Grammy Award singers Cyndi Lauper and Carole King.^[74][75] Johnson also headlined the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular in Rapid City, South Dakota, on December 23, 2008. The show aired nationally on NBC on January 18, 2009.^[76]

Book[link]

In December 2008, Johnson unveiled a book, Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile (ISBN 978-1-934417-01-0), chronicling her life story through personal photographs and quotes.^[77]

Advertisements[link]

Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee, headquartered in Johnson's hometown of West Des Moines, ran a television ad before and during the Olympics featuring Johnson. After the Olympics, Johnson appeared in television ads and online campaigns for Ortega ("Ortega makes my taco pop") and McDonalds, as well as print and web advertisements for CoverGirl and Secret deodorant. Johnson also appeared on food packaging for McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Oscar Mayer Lunchables and Hy-Vee products.^[78] Reports by Johnson's agent, Sheryl Shade, that Johnson would grace the Wheaties cereal box did not come to fruition.^[79] Her likeness did, however, appear on a limited edition Cheerios box in January 2009.^[80] Other endorsements included^{[81][82][83][84][85]}

• Longines
• Crest (toothpaste)
• Sanofi-Aventis (pharmaceuticals)
• OroWeat
• Willis Auto/Land Rover
• Circuit City
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• Eukanuba
• Nestle
• Bounty (P&G)

Charity work[link]

Since becoming a professional athlete, Johnson has been involved with numerous charitable causes. She has served as a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, advocating awareness of women's cancers through the "What You Do Matters" campaign.^[86] Johnson has also partnered with Crest toothpaste to promote dental health, passing out toothpaste to low-income people.^[87] In December 2008, Johnson co-hosted a charity event with fellow Iowa native and actor Ashton Kutcher to raise money to repair areas of her home state devastated by flooding.^[88] According to her Web site, Johnson also supports the "Exercise Your Character" program through speaking engagements.^[89]

Stalking incident[link]

On March 25, 2009, a stalker was arrested after jumping a fence and sneaking onto the CBS lot. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, 34-year-old Robert O'Ryan was arrested with the possession of guns, duct tape, zip ties, and love letters to Johnson. O'Ryan left his home in Florida and traveled to California, believing that Johnson spoke to him through the television via ESP, stating that they would be together and have a child. The Johnson family filed a restraining order against O'Ryan.^[90] O'Ryan was charged with felony stalking and two counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.^[91][92]

Competitive history[link]

Skills[link]

As of 2008, Johnson often competed the following skills, listed per apparatus.

• Vault: Amanar – 2¹⁄₂ twisting, laid out Yurchenko
• Bars: Toe-on full pirouette; Jaeger; Gienger; bail handstand; double twisting double layout dismount
• Floor: Double twisting double tuck; whip immediate triple full; front full punch layout rudi; double full; tucked full-in
• Beam: Two back handsprings to a back layout; Front Pike; standing tucked full; switch split leap to layout step out to pike back; full-in tuck dismount^{[citation needed]}

Senior career history[link]

^{[citation needed]}

Junior career history[link]

^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shawn Johnson

Gymnastics portal

• Official website
• Shawn Johnson at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
• Shawn Johnson at USA Gymnastics
• Shawn Johnson at the United States Olympic Committee
• Shawn Johnson: Coverage from The Des Moines Register
• "Shawn Johnson", n°7 on Time’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"
• Shawn Johnson at the Internet Movie Database