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. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was formed in 1881, and then called the Bureau of the…
