thumb|right|[[Berta Pujadas (gymnast)|Berta Pujadas]]
thumb|right|[[Nastia Liukin]]
thumb|right|Lineup for practice
The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is made of a steel frame. The bars are made of fiberglass with wood coating, or less commonly wood. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is UB or AB, and the apparatus and event are often referred to simply as "bars". The bars are placed at different heights and widths, allowing the gymnast to transition from bar to bar. A gymnast usually adds white chalk to the hands so that they can grip the bar better.
The apparatus
Uneven bars 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 bars, including AAI in the United States, Jannsen and Fritsen in Europe, and Acromat in Australia.
Many gyms also have a single bar or a set of uneven bars over a loose foam pit or soft mat to provide an additional level of safety when learning new skills.
Dimensions
Measurements depend on the setting of the bar. Measurements of the bars are provided by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) in the Apparatus Norms brochure.
- Height:
- High bars:
- Length of the bars:
- Flight element from high bar to low bar and vice versa
- Flight element on the same bar
- At least two different grips and a close bar circle element
- Non-flight with a turn on the bar, for example, turning handstands
- Dismount
Scoring and rules
Judges score routines based on difficulty, form, technique, and composition. Deductions are taken for execution errors, poor form, falls, pauses, "empty" swings (extra swings that do not lead into another skill), steps on the dismount, and other mistakes. Falls incur an automatic deduction of 1 full point in the 2009 FIG CoP. For levels 1-10, a fall is 0.5 points. Also, if the gymnast hits the low bar with her foot/feet (as Beth Tweddle did at the 2008 Olympics bars qualifications, and Viktoria Komova did at the 2012 Olympics bars apparatus finals), a deduction of 0.1 to 0.5 points will occur depending on the severity of the hit. The same deduction occurs when the gymnast hits one or both feet on the floor while performing a skill on the low bar.
Apparatus specific rules
thumb|right|Youna Dufournet preparing the bars with chalk
Gymnasts are permitted to tape their hands or use grips or hand guards on bars level 4 through elite. Their coaches are also permitted to apply chalk and/or water to the bars to ensure gymnasts don't slip off; some gymnasts may apply diluted honey to their grips.
Unlike high bar and rings in MAG, gymnasts may not be lifted to the uneven bars to begin their routines. They may mount the apparatus with either a simple or a difficult skill on either the high or low bar; running mounts and springboards are permitted.
If a gymnast falls from the apparatus, she has 30 seconds to re-mount. Within this time limit, she can readjust her grips or chalk her hands again if necessary. However, her routine will be finished if she does not return to the bars within 30 seconds. Many judges are flexible with this rule, especially if the gymnast took a hard fall and needed a minute to shake it off and regain her focus. Often, the judge or judging assistant will give the gymnast a ten-second warning. Falls from the bars can lead to serious injuries or paralysis; Taylor Lindsay-Noel was paralyzed during an attempted dismount from the apparatus in 2008. On rare occasions, accidents have been fatal. In 2021, Séverine Emeraude Djala Abaka, a Cameroonian gymnast, died shortly before the African Championships, where she had intended to compete, after falling on her neck.
References
External links and sources
- The 2009-2012 Code of Points
- Apparatus description at the FIG website
- US Gym Net's glossary of uneven bars skills
- Animations and explanations of basic bars skills
- The Complete Book of Gymnastics, David Hunn, Ward Lock Ltd, London, 1980,