1971 – Page 2 – Gymnastics History

1971: The Supplement to the 1968 Men’s Code of Points

In 1971, the Men’s Technical Committee issued an update to the 1968 Code of Points. But instead of printing a new document, they printed pages that were meant to be pasted over certain sections of the 1968 Code of Points. As you’ll see, the document has a funky layout as a result.

This supplement is important for two reasons. First, it established the individual all-around final. Second, it placed even more emphasis on risk, originality, and virtuosity.

Reminder: At the time, the women’s Code of Points did not have any requirements for risk, originality, and virtuosity.

Let’s take a look at the major changes…

Cover of the 1971 supplement to the Code of Points

As we saw with Villancher’s commentary on the 1968 women’s Code of Points, gymnastics does not happen in a vacuum. It interacts with the culture around it.

To help you understand where the FIG leadership stood on some social and cultural issues, the next two posts will be dedicated to the FIG president’s reaction to the worldwide counterculture movement (broadly defined) that whipped through the world in the 1960s and 1970s.

First up: The 1971 European Championships and Arthur Gander’s response to Ole Bendiktsen’s long hair.