What Is the Height Difference on Uneven Bars?
The uneven bars are an apparatus used by artistic gymnasts, who launch themselves between the bars in a stunning fashion. Elite gymnasts appear to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, but it's not an easy task and it can be dangerous. To minimize the dangers, make sure your uneven bars have an appropriate height difference.
As the name implies, the uneven bars consist of two bars of different heights. The height of both bars is measured from the upper edge of the bars to the ground. According to the rules set by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, the shorter bar must be 1.70 meters, or 67 inches, tall. The taller bar is 2.50 meters, or 98 inches, tall. This means that the difference in height between the two bars is 0.80 meters, or 31 inches.
Taller gymnasts may have difficulty using the uneven bars due to their height. As a remedy for this problem, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique introduced a rule in 2010 that allows gymnasts to increase the height of the uneven bars by 10 centimeters or approximately 4 inches. This modification is only allowed for gymnasts who would otherwise touch the floor with their feet while performing on the uneven bars. Both bars must be raised, however, so the difference in height will remain at 0.80 meters or 31 inches.
In 2013 the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique considered increasing the height of the uneven bars for all competitors by 10 centimeters. This would put an end to what the federation calls the "laborious modifications of the apparatus during competitions." The federation announced that it would conduct a study examining the potential effects of such a change, particularly with regard to risks that it might pose to gymnasts.
The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique also dictates the other dimensions of the uneven bars. The bars themselves must be 4 centimeters, or 1.6 inches, in width. The length of the bars must be 240 centimeters, or 94 inches. Although one bar must be 0.80 meters, or 31 inches, taller than the other, the distance between the bars is much greater because they are not placed one over the other. The distance between the bars is measured diagonally. The farthest that the bars can be separated is 180 centimeters, or 71 inches. The closest that the bars can be to each other is 130 centimeters, or 51 inches.