The floor is not like a trampoline. It does help them jump a little higher, but more importantly, helps them land more safely, protecting the ankles and joints. They are barefoot, so they don’t have the support that shoes would provide.
AMAZING! I'm so geeked about the Olympics and watching with my 8 yo daughter. -- After their routines I feel they should walk a little to bring down the heart rate as opposed to sitting right away.
It's not "during intermission". The whole thing is a routine. There are choreography requirements. Dance requirements which includes leaps and spins. Tumbling requirements. And the judges really want a routine that flows well and is artistic in nature; hence the sport being called Artistic Gymnastics.
When you have such a high difficulty level, it's nearly impossible to do it perfectly. If you saw a regular person trying to do anything like these skills, you would appreciate them more!
