WTF FIG?

If you look at the apparatus schedule for the next two cycles, you may notice that rope mysteriously disappears after 2010. That is because the rope will be taking rope out of the senior program... forever.

Gymnasts have been making rope routines progressively more interesting over the years (just take a look at Kanaeva), and the FIG now decides to remove it.

These are apparently the reasons why they're getting rid of it (with my rebuttals):

1. Repetition of many jumps risks to overload leg, knee and instep
(causing "minitrauma" for many gymnasts).

So jumps and leaps are so dangerous that the TC decided to make them a compulsory body group for ball and ribbon?

2. Rope as apparatus is often connected to children and, therefore,
this apparatus will only be left to categories for juniors.

Ribbons, rubber balls, and hoops are also associated with children.

3. In many cases, TV media are not interested in sending rope
finals, since the rope is not easily visible for the viewers on the TV
screen.

This can be a problem for group routines for all apparatus, but with advancements in the clarity of television broadcasts, this isn't really a problem anymore.

I'll end this post with a lovely rope routine from Kanaeva: