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What do you think is the most important attribute for successful gymnastics performance? There are only five options to choose from here. This old poll has been updated so you can now choose many more options in rating factors of success in gymnastics. You should also check out another recent poll about the important FITNESS components of artistic gymnastics, which includes all of the fitness components as options.

When the poll was closed in 2025, flexibility was considered the most important attribute for success in gymnastics.

the results when the poll was archived in 2025

Although the most popular response for this poll is flexibility, there still are plenty of those that think other attributes are more important. See below for some other suggestions and comments from some voters. Of course you could never be a success in gymnastics with only one of these attributes. An elite gymnast would have good skills in all areas.

Some Other Suggestions

• Attitude / determination
• Age
• Core body strength / stability
• Agility and balance / coordination
• Elegance
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Depends on the area of gymnastics

Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific, and only reflect the opinion of visitors to this website who have chosen to participate.

Related Pages

• List of Sports and Fitness Polls
• All gymnastics polls, including the more recent poll on the most important fitness component for gymnastics.

Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Old Comments

Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.

• I love gymnastics and hope to be 1 of them oneday . i know it's a tough sport but if Gabby Douglas did i believe once i learn it completely i will love it because it is almost the only thing i talk about. (from bj, Dec 20120
• Health related fitness: Cardio, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, flexibility. skill related fitness: Agility, Balance, co-ordination, power,reaction time, speed.
  Some are more important than others. (from Erin Mclachlan, Nov 2012)
• You need a mixture of all the fitness components in some form (from GymnastEm, Sept 2012)
• You can have all the strength and flexibility in the world but if you have a bad attitude, don't like to work hard and have parents that raise you like a princess, you are going no where in gymnastics let alone life. I'll take 50 marginally talented positive hard-working kids over 1 super alien phenom with a bad attitude who whines and cries any day. (from Tupelo, June 2012)
• You need flexibility for everyday life and every sport no matter what, gymnastics you need more flexibility and it is important however i think strength and power is most significant to be able to perform high level of skills and gain height in somersaults etc. look at most male gymnasts they are not super flexible well the ones that i train with arent yet because of their strength, power and core stability they are good enough to make it to the common wealth. (from Feb 2012)
• Everyone is saying that you don't need flexibility but you HAVE TO HAVE flexibility. Without flexibility you would not be able to do all the different types of stunts that gymnasts do. I am a Professional gymnast and when i saw all these comments i agreed but disagreed as well. Of course you need power and strength but at the end of the day flexibility is the best thing to have. Sam, May says that you need to have the correct body shape, this is true but only if you want to go to the Olympics otherwise you can do it no matter how big or small you are and so what if judges deduct points for not being slim. Not everyone can be skinny as a stick, if you are good at gymnastics there is nothing wrong. Some judges deduct points because they wish that they could do gymnastics. One of the comments that I read was a very smart comment and I agree fully. This was the comment: "you need to have flexibility to become a gymnast and then you will gain power and strength as well as speed to adapt to different moves etc ... " I hope that you all gained something from this. (from KNOWSMYGYMNASTICS, Nov 2011)
• I think that flexibility is the main component of gymnastics (from Nov 2011)
• What is it with girls and being fit, Gymnastics isn't about flexibility, i have none but i still manage I'm big but i manage i have strength and determination even after all of my injuries at the end of the day you don't need everything you need a good head and determination. (from just listen, June 2011)
• How is flexibility the most important, in order to have flexibility you have to have strength and power and if you don't have that you don't have flexibility so strength and power are the most important. (from Ammie, June 2011)
• In gymnastics your body shape is key, studies show that in female gymnastics it is only the girls with short stature, small hips, broad shoulders and slender body that tend to make it to the top levels. This is because the longer the limb the more force required to move and stop that limb. flexibility, and strength can be improver through the correct training. (from Sam, May 2011)
• I think that strength and power is one of the main components because you need a lot of power to do gymnastics and it takes a lot more than just flexibility to be good. (from Demi, Nov 2010)
• Flexibility is key. The more flexible you are the more natural it looks.
• I disagree with flexibility being the most important thing in gymnastics because if you don't have power you look very sloppy, and in gymnastics, the more graceful it is, and the more beautiful it is, the better. I am not saying that flexibility isn't important, you need to be flexible to be in gymnastics, but when your performing, they don't usually say 'Wow, she is super flexible!', they say 'Wow, she is so graceful' and I think everybody knows that
• Body size is important as you need to look fit for your sport wen you walk on floor, or judges deduct.
• In order to be flexible you must have strength and power.
• Strength and power are used to hold yourself up and to do somersaults and back flips
• Being a gymnast I think flexibility is the most important closely followed by strength and power
• You need to have flexibility to become a gymnast and then you will gain power and strength as well as speed to adapt to different moves etc ...
• They need flexibility to be able to do some of the moves they do with out being injured!