THE EFFECT OF SCORE COMPONENTS ON TOTAL SCORE OF ATHLETES AT THE WORLD AGE GROUP COMPETITIONS IN TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS
Authors: Sofiia Kokhanska , Georgii Lopatenko 
Published: September 2022

Introduction. Trampoline gymnastics is a highly coordinated sport included in the Olympic program. To promote this sport among young people, trampoline gymnastics world age group competitions are held since 1998. The development of trampoline gymnastics depends on improvement of equipment and regular changes in international competition rules. The vast majority of changes of the international competition rules are introduced to objectify judging and increase the spectacle of the sport. However, research shows that organizing and holding of competitions for young athletes are greatly differed from competitions among adults.

Aim is to determine the effect of score components on total score of performances of 13-16 years old trampoline gymnasts at the world age group competitions.

Material and methods: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodical literature, retrospective analysis of international competition rules in trampoline gymnastics, synthesis and generalization, methods of mathematical statistics.

Results. A retrospective an alysis of the regulatory documents for youth competitions shows that the trampoline gymnastics world age group competitions during 1998–2019 were held among the four main age groups. In the period from 1998 to 2013, athletes performed only one competitive exercise which was evaluated on two criteria – execution and difficulty scores. The analysis of the protocols of the world age group competitions showed that among athletes aged 13-16 the most important component of the competitive routines was the execution score, the second place was taken by difficulty score.

However, in 2011 there were changes in the international competition rules. There were added third component of the evaluation of competitive routines named “time of flight”. Analysis of athletes' performances at the world age group competitions in 2011 (Birmingham, UK) showed that the importance of execution score decreased significantly, the second most important component of competitive exercises became time of flight, and difficulty score was only third. Since 2013, athletes of all age groups began performing two competitive routines, as well as senior athletes. However, the next innovation that had a significant impact on the system of competitions in trampoline jumping was the introduction of “horizontal displacement score” in 2017. The analysis of the protocols of the world age group competitions in 2017 and 2019 shows that among athletes aged 13-16 the most important components of the result were the execution score and time of flight score.

Conclusions. Changes in the international competition rules in trampoline gymnastics in the period from 2011 to 2017 had a direct impact on the organization and holding of trampoline world age group competitions. These changes affected the structure of competitive activities of young athletes. With the change in the number of competition routines, the emergence of new judging components such as "time of flight" and "horizontal displacement" in trampoline gymnastics, there appeared objective indicators of competitive activity which give up to 35% of the total result. Thus, we can conclude that the new components of competitive activity play an important role and become decisive factors of the final result of athletes.