Kohei

Uchimura
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Kohei Uchimura

Kohei Uchimura (January 3rd, 1989 - ) is a Japanese artistic

gymnast who is known for a high level of precision and elegance
in his routines. The two-time Olympic silver medalist and nine
time World Champion is the first male gymnast to win three
consecutive all-rounder titles in a world series when he took home
the titles in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Uchimura was born in the Nagasaki prefecture of Japan. His father
Kazuhisa, is also a competitive gymnast and is the proprietor of his own
sports club. It was here that Kohei began training at age 3 until he moved
to Tokyo to train with the Athens gold medalist Naoya Tsukahara in 2004.
By the next year, Uchimura was fit to compete in his first world
competition at the 2005 International Junior Competition.
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Kohei Uchimura

Artistic gymnastics is a discipline where athletes perform short

routines of no more than 90 seconds on different apparatus.
Uchimura has contended as an all-rounder, which means he has to
compete is all gymnastic events. For men, these events are
1. Parallel bars
Men must perform a routine on two bars more than shoulder width apart
raised to a height of 1.75 m but is increased to accommodate the heights of
different athletes. They must execute a series of swings and releases.
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Kohei Uchimura

2. High bar
Athletes must perform a series of gymnastic twists, turns and
direction changes on a steel bar raised to 2.5 m above the ground
ending in a scoring dismount.
3. Pommel horse
This routine consists of a metal frame with foam/rubber over it which has
a leather cover over it. At the centre of the frame are two metal or plastic
handles. The gymnast must perform a routine of swinging his legs in
complete rotations, performing variations along the way. His toes must be
pointed during the entire routing and legs must be kept absolutely straight the
entire time.
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Kohei Uchimura

4. Rings
Also known as still rings it is definitely the toughest of the artistic
gymnastic events. The gymnastic routine is performed on a pair of
rings suspended 5.8 m above the ground. The athlete must perform a
series of movements including a strength hold, which demonstrates a
high level of control. They are also scored on the dismount.
5. Floor
A floor exercise is performed on a 12 X 12 m spring floor. The gymnast
performs a series of tumbles and passes to demonstrate strength, flexibility
and balance. Rules for men require them to touch all 4 corners of the floor at
least once and include strength feats.
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Kohei Uchimura
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6. Vault
The vault is the only gymnastic event common to both men and
women gymnasts. It consists of a 25 m runway, a springboard and a
vaulting horse. Gymnasts must run towards athe springboard and use
the force generated to vault themselves forward. They may use the
horse to spring into twists and turns before landing on their feet.
PROJECT
Listed above are the 6 events that men must compete in order to be
considered an all-rounder. Can you find out what the women's events are?

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