Artistic gymnastics was introduced at the very first Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens, and has been present at every edition of the Games since then. At the beginning, it comprised disciplines that are difficult to qualify as "artistic", such as climbing and acrobatics.

The foundations of the Olympic gymnastics programme were laid at the 1924 Games in Paris, when the men's apparatus individual and team competitions appeared. In 1928, women were included in the Amsterdam Games. It was not until 1952 that the women's programme was developed, with seven events, and then stabilised at six events as from the 1960 Games in Rome.

Find more about Artistic Gymnastics at www.olympic.org/artistic-gymnastics

Every two years, the world's finest athletes gather at the Olympic Games - a spectacular celebration of sporting excellence that captures the attention of billions of people around the world. However, the Games are about much more than just sport. They bring the Olympic values to life and provide a global arena for a unique combination of sport, culture, education and ceremonies.

At the Olympic Games in London 2012, about 10,500 athletes from 204 countries compete in 26 different sports, comprising 302 medal events. Whether athletes win a medal or not, they can forever call themselves Olympians. The sporting competitions are undoubtedly the central focus of the Olympic Games and participating in the Games is the ultimate goal for most athletes.

Every edition has its own story to tell and will be remembered for some truly remarkable performances from sporting legends such as Jesse Owens, Abebe Bikila, Jean-Claude Killy, Nadia Comaneci, Katarina Witt, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, to name just a few.

Find more about the Olympic Games at www.olympic.org/olympic-games less