As someone who’s coached and covered rings for 12+ years, here’s my quick take, gymnastics rings olympics is the purest strength show in artistic gymnastics. Still rings. Iron cross. Maltese. No hiding, no excuses.
What Matters Most During Gymnastics Rings Olympics
- D-score: your difficulty. Big holds. Real risk.
- E-score: execution. No shakes. No ring swing. Clean lines.
- Rings dead still: if the straps dance, you pay.
- Handstands: show control, not a handstand wobble party.
- Dismount: stick it. Hop the goodbye tenths.
If you want the nerdy detail on the apparatus itself and where this all came from, this page is simple and solid, rings (apparatus) 101. It’s not flashy. But it gets the job done.
Why the Rings Are Both Evil and Beautiful
In my experience, the rings are the only place where the sport asks you to be a statue and a pendulum in the same minute. Static strength like the iron cross or Maltese looks calm. It isn’t. Your shoulders are screaming while you smile for the judges. Then you swing to handstand and pretend nothing hurts. The best guys make pain look like tea time.
I’ve always found that the rings test honesty. You can’t fake a planche or a Victorian. Either your shoulders lock down, or you shake like a leaf on a treadmill. I’ve taped wrists in the back gym, wiped chalk off souls, and yes, talked an athlete out of throwing a new dismount on a bad day. “Save the heroics for finals,” I tell them. Old, cranky me.
Scoring on Rings, Demystified (Without the Headache)
Think two buckets, Difficulty (D) and Execution (E). D-score adds the value of your 10 best skills in a smart order, including required groups. E-score starts at 10.0 and judges subtract every little crime, ring swing, bent arms, short holds, pike in a handstand, sloppy feet. Add D to E. That’s your total.
| Element | What judges want | Common deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Cross | Arms straight, shoulders down, 2s hold | 0.1–0.3 for shake/short hold |
| Maltese | Body flat, rings steady, 2s hold | 0.1–0.3 for hips low or rings wandering |
| Handstand | Still rings, straight line, no press | 0.1–0.3 for arch/pike or adjustment |
| Dismount (tucked/laid out) | Height, clean twists, stuck landing | 0.1–0.5 for hop, step, or big chest drop |
If you want the official umbrella view of the sport, here’s the clean hub from the IOC, artistic gymnastics overview. Bookmark it if you’re new and pretending you’re not.
Names You Should Know
What I think is, the event has eras. You’ve got legends like Chen Yibing (king of stillness), Arthur Zanetti (Brazil power), Eleftherios Petrounias (Greek precision, ridiculous rings control), and Liu Yang (textbook strength).
Tokyo gave you a case study, Liu Yang’s rings gold was everything, calm holds, clean handstands, and the kind of dismount that makes coaches quietly swear with joy.
Paris 2024: What I’m Watching
Paris will be about refinements, not revolution. Athletes are threading the needle, keep the D-score big, but kill the tiny wobbles that eat the E-score alive. And yes, the Code keeps nudging things so routines don’t become “five holds and a YOLO dismount.”
Speaking of format tweaks and how Olympic programs keep shifting, this write-up on a different sport nails the vibe, Paris 2024 revamps in climbing. Different apparatus, same Olympic hunger to balance spectacle and fairness.
Anatomy of a Clean Rings Routine
- Opener: strong kip to support or a press to handstand. Quiet rings, please.
- Strength series: cross, Maltese, planche. Hold two seconds. No shakes.
- Swing work: inlocates, dislocates, Yamawaki. Show control to handstand.
- Second strength hit: maybe Azarian to cross. Judges love composed repeats.
- Dismount: double pike or double-double. Stick it like you mean it.
I clip highlights and stash them here when I see them, Top Plays. If a finish made me yell at my laptop, it’s there.
My Pocket Viewer’s Checklist
- Rings quiet? If they sway, mark down in your head.
- Holds real time? Count “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand.” If it’s short, judges notice.
- Handstand line? Straight, no arch, no press wiggle.
- Feet together? Pointed toes pay.
- Landing stuck? Hop 0.1 or more. Big step, even worse.
When a routine gives me goosebumps, I toss it into Match Analysis. That shelf is my happy place. Slightly chaotic. Very honest.
How Rings Connect to Other Sports
Core tension and shoulder control on rings reminds me of weightlifting’s overhead stability and diving’s entry control. Different tools. Same body physics. If you like these cross-sport rabbit holes, my sports connections cheat sheet is a fun map for your brain.
For a clean event history and medal lists, this is the fast lane, men’s rings at the Summer Olympics. It’s dry, sure, but it keeps arguments short.
Technique Tidbits Coaches Drill
- False grip: ugly but necessary for control in transitions.
- Scapular depression: shoulders down, ribs in. Think “proud chest, quiet traps.”
- Breathing: exhale into holds, don’t balloon your ribs and lose tension.
- Chalk management: too much and you slide, too little and you slide faster.
- Dose the strength: two heavy hold days a week, not five. Your shoulders will thank you in 20 years.
I’ve coached athletes who could muscle through a cross but missed on handstand control. Guess what scored worse? The handstand miss. It always stings more because it looks simple. Simplicity is cruel like that.
While we’re being nerds, Britannica gives a clean, no-drama overview, rings, explained. Good refresher before live finals.
Judging Feels Subjective: Here’s How to Stay Sane
Judges are human. They do their best with the FIG Code of Points, but tiny differences add up fast. When two routines have similar D-scores, the cleaner one wins almost every time. So I teach athletes to “spend” energy on holds they can nail and skip the one sketchy move that looks cool on Instagram.
If you like scoring frameworks (I do, sorry), this blunt guide from another sport actually carries over surprisingly well, squash scoring strategy. Different rules, same brain for risk and reward.
FAQs
Why do the rings move so much for some gymnasts and not others?
Because control is the skill. Strong scapular control keeps the straps quiet. If the rings sway, deductions hit the E-score.
What’s the hardest-looking move I should watch for?
Most people gasp at the iron cross, but Maltese is nastier. Flat body, arms straight, rings still. Brutal.
How long do they have to hold those positions?
Two full seconds. Count it. “One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand.” Short holds get dinged.
Why do some dismounts look simple compared to others?
Strategy. If your E-score is king, you pick a dismount you can stick. A safer stuck landing can beat a wild big one with a hop.
Is there a quick way to tell who’s going to win?
Check D-score first. Then watch for still rings, clean handstands, and a stuck dismount. If all three hit, that routine is in the medals.
I’m Michael Green, bringing you player profiles, in-depth match analysis, key stats and records, tactical breakdowns, and the top plays that define every game.
Why do some dismounts look simple compared to others? Do more impact ratings for difficulty?
Which gymnast at Paris 2024 do you predict will excel in both D and E scores?