Gymnastics talent identification

Aim The aim of this study is to research a sequence of tests that have a predictive potential regarding the artistic gymnastics at a competitive level. Nowadays in Italy, this kind of tests is measured for little girls that are more than 8 years old. There are no tests in women's artistic gymnastics for beginners with an age between 6 and 8 years old. Method A systematic review was conducted to identify some specific tests and to establish which are the most important characteristics needed for a gymnast and finally how to point them out in this sport. A sequence of tests based on American, Russian and Romanian models was selected and applied on 13 female beginners of artistic gymnastics. During 12 weeks of training. Results At the second test, therefore after the training, almost all the girls have improved: three girls were chosen for the competitive team and other two are still under supervision. The study argues that the initial value cannot always be predictive, while it can be interesting the comparison between the first test and the following one, because it also expresses the ability of being trainable of some examined subjects. Thus some girls had excellent improvements, even though they had started with a low level in the first test. This point is not altering the tests at all; on the contrary it focuses the need of continuous tests, in order to add corrections to the way of training and to identify exercises as many as possible. Conclusions The anthropometric characteristics of the female gymnasts are: lower height than girls of the same age, broad shoulders, and narrow pelvises, mainly with long limbs. Another characteristic is the ability of equilibrium both static and dynamic. Furthermore, another fundamental aspect is the demand of explosive strength that needs to be higher than the one of the same age girls. Future research will need to deepen the correlation between the different characteristics, and to identify which ones would be considered in order to protect the gymnast besides of increasing her performance.