Why Team China suffered its worst performance in artistic gymnastics at Rio 2016?

Abstract

China’s artistic gymnastics team had its worst showing at Rio since returning to the Games in 1984. This article explains the reasons for China’s underperformance at Rio by drawing on multiple sources of data. We analyze the scores that international gymnasts received at the World Championships and the Olympics. We also draw on interview data of Chinese gymnasts, coaches, and officials. Our study shows that the collapse in Rio primarily resulted from misinterpreting changes in both the new competition system for the team final and the open-ended Code of Points (CoP) introduced by the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) after Beijing 2008. The misinterpretation led to poor strategies when preparing for the Rio Olympics. Further, we believe there is something hidden in their defeat that reveals larger developmental trends in international gymnastics. Thus, by addressing China’s downfall at Rio, we identify important developments in international gymnastics such as the increasing importance of all-arounders, the necessity of execution, and extending the careers of both men and women gymnasts. The conclusions we draw from Team China’s failure at Rio 2016 have broader implications for how other gymnastics nations can prepare for international competitions.