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Title: Gymnstics Olympics "LONDON 1948" View count: 2683 Rating: 4.50 (2 ratings) Description: "The Svenska Gymnastikforbundet of Stockholm staged a demonstration of Swedish gymnastics by 200 female and 200 male gymnasts. The object was to illustrate how the voluntary gymnastics of Sweden during the last decades has developed into a great national movement for the promotion of health, beauty, strength and happiness. This style of gymnastics was developed by P. H. Ling about 150 years ago and has a following all over the world. As the number of persons to carry out the demonstration was so large, the Organising Committee came to a special arrangement with the Svenska Gymnastikforbundet, who agreed to undertake all the catering and domestic arrangements for their gymnasts, the Organising Committee providing accommodation and necessary furnishings. A nominal rate was charged to the Swedes for their food. The Swedish party included their own domestic staff and so enthusiastic were they over this demonstration that the gymnasts themselves not only gave of their services, but defrayed the cost of the journey to London out of their own pockets. They were treated as competitors, being issued with identity cards, commemorative medals, etc. Two displays were given, one on Saturday, August 7, immediately preceding the start of the Marathon race and one on Friday, August 13, preceding the Football Final. No words can express adequately the beauty and poetry of the motion of these gymnasts and probably the only regret that any spectator had was when the demonstration ended. The rhythm and precision with which the free exercises were carried out in the Empire Stadium, with only one rehearsal there, is adequate proof, not only of the training and ability of the gymnasts under their manager, Mr. Agne Holmstrom, but that this form of physical exercise binds together those who perform it into a cohesive whole." Official Report of the XIV OLYMPIAD LONDON 1948 Tags: 2008, 2012, action, american, arts, baseball, basketball, beijing, combat, extreme, field, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, london, martial, motor, olympics, soccer, sport, sports, talk, tennis, track, water, winter, Author: thofyrv |
