Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2016 Summer Olympics

The rhythmic gymnastics events took place over just three days at the Rio Olympic Arena, which staged all gymnastics events; artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. The 12,000-seater capacity arena, updated for the Rio Games, was built for the 2007 Pan American Games. Originally called the Rio Olympic Arena, it was changed to simply the Rio Arena after the Pan-Am Games and, following corporate sponsorship in 2008 from HSBC, it became known as the HSBC Centre. Due to Olympic rules regarding corporate names on stadiums, it reverted to its original name for the 2016 Olympics. Many big names from the world of music like Queen, Iron Maiden and Miley Cyrus have performed in the Arena and it has also hosted an NBA game.

For the sixth consecutive Games, there was an all-round individual competition with 26 gymnasts, and an all-round group competition, with 14 groups of 5 gymnasts. Both were for women only, and they must have been born before midnight on 31 December 2000. Athletes qualified for Rio following two qualifying competitions: the 2015 World Championships in Stuttgart and the Olympic Games Test Event in Rio. Any remaining places were at the discretion of the FIG in order to achieve continental representation as required by the IOC.

Gymnasts performed their routines to music using four different pieces of apparatus: ball, clubs, hoop and ribbon – the fifth piece of apparatus, the rope was not used in Rio in accordance with a rotation system suggested by the FIG. Points were awarded for the way a gymnast executed their moves, had control of the apparatus, their form, flexibility and how well the routine was choreographed, Gymnasts had between 1m 15s and 1m 30s in individual competition to complete their routine and in the group event, between 2m 15s and 2m 30s.

Russia dominated as they have done at every Olympics since 2000, winning gold and silver in both the individual and the group events for the fifth consecutive Olympics.