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A springboard is a platform set upon one or usually multiple springs used in 
Development of a new type of springboard began in the 1930s. Named 'Reuther boards' after their inventor, Richard Reuther, they allowed gymnasts to gain more speed and height when vaulting. The first Olympics they were used in was the
A springboard is a platform set upon one or usually multiple springs used in artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ...
to propel a gymnast
Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
who jumps upon it further than if they had otherwise jumped off a fixed platform. The springboard is a vital part of the vault event and is commonly used in some routines of other events, such as the balance beam, or uneven bars
The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is made of a steel frame. The bars are made of fiberglass with wood coating, or less commonly wood. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is UB or ...
, to start the event by springing onto the apparatus. The springboard is usually about wide and long.
Development of a new type of springboard began in the 1930s. Named 'Reuther boards' after their inventor, Richard Reuther, they allowed gymnasts to gain more speed and height when vaulting. The first Olympics they were used in was the 1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...
. After boards with springs were introduced, for a time, which was type of board was used varied by competition, as the regulations did not specify. The 1991 World Championships used springboards, while the 1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...
used Reuther boards.
At modern competitions, two kinds of springboards are provided, a 'hard' board and a 'soft' board. Gymnasts may choose between the hard and soft boards for vault, but they may only choose to use the soft board on other events.
References
{{Reflist Artistic gymnastics apparatus