Once a discipline for training soldiers for combat, gymnastics has evolved into a sport that emphasizes not only strength but also artistry and grace as well. Modern gymnasts compete with the lofty goal of someday making it to the Summer Olympic Games, where gymnastics are one of the most popular events. Athletes from countries like Russia, Romania and Japan dominated the sport through most of the 20th century, with stars like Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, Vitaly Scherbo and Kohei Uchimura. American stars have emerged more recently, following the triumph of Mary Lou Retton at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Since, athletes like Paul Hamm, Shannon Miller, Carly Patterson and Gabby Douglas have followed in her footsteps. Fans continue to be drawn to the incredible strength, agility and grace of these athletes. Each book in the Inside the World of Sports series takes you from the very beginning of a sport to a look at its future. Inside these pages, learn more about gymnastics’ greatest moments, iconic athletes, and what the future holds for the sport. Each title in this series contains color photos throughout and back matter including: a chronology, glossary of terms for each sport, an index, and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Educational Videos are offered throughout the first chapter, through the use of a QR code that when scanned takes the student to an online video showing a greatest moment in sports’ history. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text. Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader’s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.
