Out of all the objects to come to rhythmic gymnastics, the hoop was the last.
In the middle of the 20th century, American inventor Richard Knerr developed and patented the “hula hoop.” He promised to give it away to children if they could spin it, and distributed hoops among schoolchildren in order to draw attention to it in every possible way.
That is how the hoop spread throughout the world and became a popular item for exercise. After all, spinning the hoop is a dynamic activity that helps strengthen muscles.
Soon, the object made its way into gymnastics training, however these were aluminum hoops, which weren’t safe for throwing.
Yet by 1967, the gymnasts were already using this object at international competitions. These were wooden hoops, which were lighter and more convenient to work with.
After a while, plastic hoops entered the arena, and they are the ones athletes still perform with now. The plastic hoop is what gives the gymnasts the opportunity to perform rolls, rotations, and throws, since the relatively soft material does not cause injury and maintains its shape.
In the 20th century, hoops mostly came in one color to match the gymnasts’ leopard. But in the 2000s, it became fashionable to wrap it, which allowed the athletes to complement their image and make it more memorable. Special adhesive tapes are used to decorate and create patterns, often colorful and shiny, so that the hoop can be seen from far away.