Although FIG declined to comment on the proposed new qualification process, a statement from the gymnastics world governing body said its President, Bruno Grandi, had been working extensively on the initiative and that it will be in place for the 2020 Olympic Games.

"Among the points listed on the orders of the day [at the FIG Council], a new qualifying system that would allow gymnasts from the 133 affiliated federations to experience the Olympic dream," the statement read.

"President Bruno Grandi has explored the issue in depth and sought extensive counsel in order that every decision-making sector of the FIG would be involved in setting up a system that can be operational by the beginning of the next cycle, and lead the federation to the 2020 Olympic Games.

"The decisions will affect the international calendar and follow several parameters, notably the principle of representative universality."

Gymnastics has appeared at every Summer Olympics since the dawn of the modern Olympic Movement in Athens in 1896.

For 32 years, only men were allowed to compete in the sport but Amsterdam 1928 saw the first women competing in artistic gymnastics.


Rhythmic gymnastics events were introduced at Los Angeles 1984, followed by trampolining at Sydney 2000.

At present, the artistic discipline at the Summer Olympics begins with the team event, which doubles as the qualification round for the individual and all around events, with men competing on the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, and women on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor.

The top 24 overall gymnasts advance to the all around final, while the top eight scorers on each apparatus qualify for the individual apparatus finals, but no more than two gymnasts per nation can compete in either the all-around or apparatus finals.

Rhythmic gymnastics sees individual athletes competing in a preliminary round, with the top 10 progressing to the final – beginning again with a clean slate, while teams perform two exercises in the group competition with the top eight from the preliminary round progressing to the final.


Finally men and women compete individually in trampolining, beginning with a qualification round consisting of both compulsory and optional routines, with the best eight scorers advancing to the final.

FIG says it will also elect six people to its new Disciplinary Commission - which will work on new cases opened by the executive board, and revamp its technical regulations document at the meeting in the British city.

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