Before it was an Olympic sport, trampolining was used to train astronauts!

You won't get very high if you're only trampolining in your garden… But when it comes to the Olympic discipline, it's a different matter: trampolinists have to perform a series of twists and somersaults at heights of over 8 meters!

Athletes take flight on a very springy 4x2-meter canvas that enables them to defy the laws of gravity.

Once in the air, they must perform a sequence of 10 figures, including jumps, somersaults and twists. Difficulty, execution and flight time are graded.

Two events, women's individual and men's individual, are being organized at the Paris 2024 Games. A total of 32 athletes, 16 men and 16 women, will take part. All athletes must have been born no later than December 31, 2007.

Qualities required: a sense of balance and absolute precision!

The trampoline was the brainchild of American gymnast George Nissen in 1930. Seeing trapeze artists at the circus that passed through his Iowan town bounce off safety nets, he invented the first "bouncing platform". Its design was pretty basic: a metal bed frame, springs and a canvas conveyor! The device was later improved and christened the "trampoline" in 1937.

The US Air Force used trampolines to train pilots and paratroopers during the Second World War. It was also adopted in some American and Soviet space programs to provide astronauts with exercise.

Originally part of the all-around gymnastics competition, trampoline became an event in its own right at the Sydney Games in 2000.

Five men (Allan Morante, Julian Chartier, Pierre Gouzou, Florestan Riou and Morgan Demiro O Domiro) and six women (Léa Labrousse, Perle Aubrée, Marine Jurbert, Cléa Brousse, Anaïs Brèche and Marine Prieur) took part in the World Cup qualifier for the Olympic Games.

The World Cup consists of five stages: Coimbra (Portugal) from July 7th to 8th, 2023, Palm Beach (USA) from August 3rd to 5th, 2023, Varna (Bulgaria) from October 7th to 8th, 2023, Baku (Azerbaijan) from February 23rd to 25th, 2024 and Cottbus (Germany) from March 22th to 24th, 2024. A maximum of one Frenchman and one Frenchwoman can win one of the non-nominative tickets up for grabs.

The French Gymnastics Federation will select the trampolinist(s) who will represent France at the Paris Games by the end of June.

There are many words for the multitude of tricks and figures that trampolinists can execute. A Barani is a front somersault with a half-twist. A Miller is a double back somersault with three full twists and a Frydolph is a single front somersault with four and a half twists.

Trampolining is great for fitness and form. 45 minutes of jumping and exercising on a trampoline can help you lose up to 900 calories… But even just 10 minutes a day can produce impressive results.

Jumping on a trampoline strengthens your cardiovascular system and your lymphatic system (the one that eliminates toxins from your body). What's more, as you're jumping on a flexible surface, any shocks are absorbed by the bouncing mat, protecting your joints.

Trampoline fitness (or jump fitness) is becoming increasingly popular in gyms, much like zumba or dance. All you need is a small trampoline and a good speaker.

In Paris, a number of associations are open to all ages!