Top Five Olympic Gymnastic Photos

Gymnastics is a popular sport amongst boys and girls, some starting as young as toddlers. At an advanced level, the feats performed in gymnastics are incredibly impressive, showcasing the gymnast's strength, skill and flexibility. Many of these feats can be captured in still photographs.

The photographs taken of Olympic gymnasts are incredible and impressive because they capture the athletes who perform at the absolute height of the sport. The most impressive gymnastics photographs are those taken of these Olympic gymnasts which then translate to iconic photographs.

Split Leap in Mid-air

This gymnastics photo is the most common type taken as it epitomizes the skill and flexibility displayed by highly trained gymnasts. The ideal split leap photo is taken at the height of the move, sometimes with no apparatus present in the picture making it appear as though the gymnast is suspended in mid-air in the powerful and graceful pose. Usually, the arms are extended outwards towards the sides with fingers also extended, or the arms are raised above the head. Common variations have the back leg bent at the knee and/or the back arched back to show even added flexibility throughout the body. This move is typically performed on the floor or beam apparatus.

Tumbling pass

Another popular type of gymnastics photograph is done in the middle of a tumbling pass either on the floor exercise or vault. Some capture the run leading into the tumbling pass in order to show the burst of power and speed necessary to perform the stunts, or they capture the various poses and actions performed during the tumbling pass itself. Seeing a photograph of the various contortions and positions the body flies through in an advanced pass is dramatic and impressive.

Dismounts

A dismount is a final acrobatic stunt performed at the end of a variety of gymnastics apparatuses including the floor, beam, uneven bars, pommel horse, parallel bars and rings. It is often the most difficult and dramatic move in a routine, which is why it is often captured on camera.

Bar Apparatus

The routines performed on both the uneven (ladies) bars and parallel (men) bars are fast, difficult and very impressive. The movement of swinging through the bars and performing complex stunts is made even more impressive when captured as a still photograph. One of the most popular bar photographs taken is when the gymnast performs a release skill, letting go of the bar momentarily and performing a stunt in the air and then catching the bar again. Being able to photograph the brief moments when the gymnast is released away from the bar is quite dramatic.

Dismount Landing or Dance Pose

Aside from pure action shots, a nice, elegant option is to capture a gymnast in the middle of a dance move or doing their final pose upon landing a dismount. In these instances, the body is often extended and posed like a dancer, often with the arms raised with one leg extended straight behind and the other bent at a slight angle.