Performance Evaluation of Penché Rotation in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Using Statistical Parametric Mapping

Bat-Otgon Batsuren

, Batbayar Khuyagbaatar

, Enkhsaikhan Gombojav

Battsetseg Gonchoo

, Bayarjargal Ulziikhutag

, Altantsetseg Tseveg

and Yeruulbat Galbadrakh

Department of Sports, Mongolian National University of Education, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

College of Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Department of Physical Education, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Keywords: Rhythmic Gymnastics, Wearable Sensors, Kinematics, Statistical Parametric Mapping.

Abstract: In rhythmic gymnastics (RG), maintaining balances is essential for the successful execution of routines. In

coaching practice, objective tools for assessing balance during routine execution are essential. Kinematic

movement patterns have been analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM), which evaluates

movement and improves the understanding of tasks. This study examined three-dimensional (3D) lower

extremity joint angles during static balance exercises and penché rotation in RG, then evaluated performance

in penché rotation with SPM. The results showed a significant difference in the joint angles of the supporting

leg during the initiation of rotation, while this difference tended to persist throughout the entire rotation for

the lifted leg. This may indicate which specific joint motions do not align with threshold values in the

movement patterns of the static balance test, which can be interpreted as a performance issue in dynamic

rotation. This underscores SPM as a valuable tool for evaluating performance during rotation techniques in

RG.

1 INTRODUCTION

Rhythmic gymnastics (RG) is a highly technical and

artistic sport that requires athletes to integrate

strength, flexibility, coordination, and precise

execution of complex movements (Agopyan & Örs,

2019). Gymnasts incorporate the same jumps,

balance elements, and rotations in their routines,

emphasizing the significance of rotational elements

during the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle (Gateva, n.d.).

Among these, executing the high turn of the back leg

is one of the most challenging elements, demanding

exceptional balance, lower-body strength, and

control. It is also called penché rotation (Agopyan &

Örs, 2019). The successful execution of this

movement significantly impacts scoring and overall

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4991-1326

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-300X

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8940-1078

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5350-622X

performance in competitive RG (Aleksandraviciene,

Zaicenkoviene, Stasiule, & Stasiulis, 2015).

In RG, gymnasts perform balance exercises by

standing on one leg while the free leg is raised in

different positions, which is an extreme challenge in

terms of postural balance. The primary factors

affecting balance include genetic predisposition,

vestibular system condition, age, support surface,

center of gravity height, limb positioning, training,

strength, coordination, flexibility, emotional state,

and fatigue (Sobera & Rutkowska-Kucharska,

2019a). Balance exercise can generally be

categorized into static (maintaining a stable position

while stationary) and dynamic balance (maintaining

stability during movement). Both balances are crucial

for routine execution, as RG prioritizes accuracy and

perfection (Shigaki et al., 2013). Several studies have

Batsuren, B.-O., Khuyagbaatar, B., Gombojav, E., Gonchoo, B., Ulziikhutag, B., Tseveg, A. and Galbadrakh, Y.

Performance Evaluation of Penché Rotation in Rhythmic Gymnastics Using Statistical Parametric Mapping.

DOI: 10.5220/0013687600003988

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (icSPORTS 2025), pages 163-169

ISBN: 978-989-758-771-9; ISSN: 2184-3201

163

examined the kinematics of various gymnastics

movements, focusing on flexibility, muscle

activation, and balance control (Donti, Bogdanis,

Kritikou, Donti, & Theodorakou, 2016). Performance

variability in balance tasks was twice as high in the

younger gymnast compared to the older one

(Rutkowska-Kucharska, Szpala, Jaroszczuk, &

Sobera, 2018). Sobera et al. (2019a) noted that

balance abilities vary significantly across different

age groups, making it difficult to generalize results

across all skill levels. However, balance stability in

RG remains a complex task. In coaching practice,

objective tools for assessing balance during routine

execution are essential.

Differences in kinematic waveforms between

tasks have been assessed using statistical parametric

mapping (SPM), which evaluates movement and

improves the understanding of strategies employed to

achieve the various tasks (Martonick et al., 2022).

This improved understanding can lead to enhanced

performance, effective treatment approaches for

sports injuries, precise strength and conditioning

programs, and improved rehabilitation strategies

(Yona, Kamel, Cohen-Eick, Ovadia, & Fischer,

2023). Several studies have applied SPM to the field

of biomechanics. Morais et al. ( 2024) compared the

swimming velocity among different levels of

swimmers using SPM. Patoz et al. (2022) assessed the

association of the factor and the step frequency on the

running kinetics using SPM. To our knowledge, no

studies have employed the SPM method to evaluate

performance during execution in RG, which could

demonstrate the differences in kinematic waveforms

between static trials and dynamic rotations. The aim

of the present study was to analyze the 3D joint angles

of the lower extremities during a static balance test

and penché rotation using a wearable IMU system.

We then assessed the performance of the penché

rotation technique in RG using SPM by comparing it

with static balance exercises.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Participants

In this study, six female gymnasts participated (age

13±1 years; height, 157.5±4.5 cm; body mass, 41.5±

2.5 kg), who have been trained for the Asian

championship 2024. All participants had no

musculoskeletal injuries within the past year. This

study was approved by the Institutional Review

Board of the Mongolian University of Science and

Technology and the Research Ethical Committee of

the Mongolian National University of Education.

Before collecting data, informed consent was

obtained from all participants and their coaches.

Figure 1: Participants wear Xsens MVN suits, and perform

a static balance test.

2.2 Experimental Setup

The Xsens wearable motion capture system (MVN

Analyze, Movella, Netherlands) was used to capture

full-body joint kinematics during static balance and

dynamic rotation in RG. The recording sampling rate

was 120 Hz. It has been shown that this system is one

of the most commonly used IMU-based wearable

motion capture systems for assessing performance

and techniques in sports activities (Camomilla,

Bergamini, Fantozzi, & Vannozzi, 2018;

Khuyagbaatar et al., 2024). The system includes 17

IMU sensors, a body pack, and a wireless router. The

body pack connects several strings of sensors and

collects their data through a wireless link to the

router, which is connected to a computer running

Xsens MVN Analyze software (Schepers, Giuberti, &

Bellusci, 2018). The 17 IMU sensors placed on the

head, sternum, pelvis, left/right shoulder, upper arm

and forearm, hand, upper and lower leg, and foot

under the suit (Dambadarjaa et al., 2024). In the MVN

Analyze software, participant height and foot length

were entered to create a 23-link rigid body

biomechanical model, which automatically

calculated 3D joint angles during movements

(Khuyagbaatar et al., 2025). Before the experiment,

all gymnasts were asked to perform N-pose and T-

pose calibration, which estimates the orientation of

the sensors with respect to the corresponding

segments as well as the proportions of the person

being tracked (Schepers et al., 2018). Then,

participants were asked to perform three times of

static balance tests and penché rotation technique.

icSPORTS 2025 - 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support

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Figure 2: Execution of the penché rotation technique. Indicates the four main phases: preparation phase, main phase, execution

phase and final phase.

Details of static balance and rotation technique can be

found in section 2.3.

2.3 Static Balance and Penché Rotation

Gymnasts first performed a static balance test while

wearing an Xsens MVN suit with IMU sensors under

the supervision of an experienced coach. The static

balance test is defined as standing on one leg with a

flat foot while holding the other leg back (Figure 1).

This exercise requires much more activation of all

muscles since it requires one leg stance with the free

leg positioned vertically in a split, and the trunk must

be bent forward as close to the horizontal direction as

possible (Sobera & Rutkowska-Kucharska, 2019b).

Then, they performed a 360-degree penché rotation

technique, which requires the trunk to bend forward

and the leg to be positioned almost at a 180-degree

angle backward (Batista, Garganta, & Ávila-

Carvalho, 2023). It has been noted that the most

frequently executed rotation in competition because

gymnasts can achieve a high number of turns,

probably because it is performed with a flat foot

(Agopyan & Örs, 2019) (Figure 2). This technique

has four main phases: preparation phase, main phase,

execution phase, and final phase (Lisitskaya, 1982).

2.4 Statistical Analysis

Before conducting statistical analysis, all kinematic

data were time-normalized to a full task cycle

consisting of 100 data points (Papi, Bull, &

McGregor, 2020). In the static balance test, the start

(0%) and end points (100%) are defined between the

holding position depicted in Figure 1. For penché

rotation, the start (0%) and end points (100%)

correspond to the beginning and end of the execution

phase, as illustrated in Figure 2. SPM was used to

statistically compare lower extremity joint angles

between the static balance test and the execution

phase of the penché rotation by implementing open-

source spm1d MATLAB code (www.spm1d.org).

3 RESULTS

During the rotation, gymnasts exhibited increased

plantarflexion of the ankle (p=0.001, 0-27%) and

hyperextension of the knee (p=0.024, 0-21%) and hip

(p=0.046, 0-10%) in the supporting leg, while

demonstrating a more flexed knee (p<0.001, 0-100%)

in the lifted leg throughout the entire execution phase

compared to the static balance test (Figure 3). In the

frontal plane of motion, greater ankle adduction

(p=0.038, 0-6%) was observed in the supporting leg

during the initial stage of execution. For the lifted leg,

there was increased ankle abduction (p < 0.001, 0-

74%), knee adduction (p = 0.010, 9-42%), and hip

adduction (p < 0.001, 0-100%) (Figure 4). In the

transverse plane of motion, greater ankle (p<0.001, 0-

82%) and knee internal rotation (p=0.005, 0-16%)

and hip external rotation (p<0.001, 0-100%) were

demonstrated. For the lifted leg, there was only knee

external rotation, which increased significantly (p <

0.001, 0-100%) throughout the entire execution phase

(Figure 5).

4 DISCUSSIONS

This study applied SPM analysis to assess the

performance in penché rotation in RG by comparing

lower extremity kinematics in three anatomical

planes against a static balance test. The SPM analysis

allows for the analysis of movement complexity as a

entirety (Papi et al., 2020). Results showed a

difference in joint kinematics for supporting and

Performance Evaluation of Penché Rotation in Rhythmic Gymnastics Using Statistical Parametric Mapping

165

Figure 3: Kinematic waveforms for ankle, knee, hip in sagittal plane. A solid blue line indicates rotation technique, and a

dashed red line indicates balance test. Shaded gray areas indicate where the threshold was exceeded.

lifted legs during static balance and dynamic rotation

techniques. This could indicate which specific joint

motions do not align with threshold values in the

movement patterns of the static balance test, which

can then be interpreted as a performance issue in

dynamic rotation. Assessing the overall movement

patterns revealed that performing the rotation

technique caused the supporting leg's ankle and knee

joints to be more extended and internally rotated at

the start of the movement. While flexion and external

rotation of the knee, as well as adduction of the hip,

differed significantly from the static pose, these

changes could negatively impact the performance

level. For the lifted leg, the knee joints were flexed

and externally rotated throughout the execution.

Additionally, ankle abduction and hip adduction were

observed during the entire rotation, which may help

stabilize the rotation but could lead to poor

performance. Generally, the SPM indicated that a

significant difference in the kinematics of the

supporting leg was observed during the initiation of

rotation, while this difference tended to persist

throughout the entire rotation for the lifted leg.

The 3D joint kinematics in RG were measured

using the Xsens MVN system, which is the most

commonly used commercial wearable system with an

error below 10 degrees, and is recommended for

feedback training during gymnastic movements

(Barreto et al., 2021). During the penché rotation,

which requires bending the torso forward and opening

the leg 180 °backward (Agopyan, 2014). In kinematic

measurement with the Xsens system, the opening of

the leg angle can be represented by the supporting

leg’s flexion and the lifted leg’s extension. Our

results indicated that the supporting leg’s flexion

ranged from 122° to 141°, while the lifted leg’s

extension varied from 14° to 32° during the static

balance test, leading to a maximum leg angle opening

of about 170°. During rotation, the supporting leg’s

flexion ranged from 112° to 127°, and the lifted leg’s

extension varied from 18° to 32° at the start of

execution, which was about 160° of opening of the

leg. As a result, the flexion-extension range of motion

of the lifted leg is similar between static and rotational

movements except for the knee joint angle, while the

joint angles of the supporting leg differ during the

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initiation of execution. This was also confirmed by

SPM analysis. Thus, athletes should be aware of the

extension that occurs in the supporting leg during the

initiation of the rotation.

A study has several limitations. While whole-

body kinematics are important for balance, only

lower extremity joint kinematics were compared

between the static balance test and the rotation

technique. The sample size and lack of diversity may

have affected the results. Future studies will involve

high-level professional gymnasts with a larger sample

size, which may help to provide more insights into the

relationship between the balance test and rotation

techniques.

5 CONCLUSIONS

We analyzed the 3D joint angles of the lower

extremities during the static balance test and penché

rotation technique using a wearable IMU system. We

then assessed the performance of the penché rotation

techniques using SPM analysis, comparing it to static

balance exercises. The SPM analysis revealed a

significant difference in the kinematics of the

supporting leg during the initiation of rotation (0-

30%), while this difference tended to persist

throughout the entire rotation for the lifted leg. This

could indicate which specific joint motions do not

align with threshold values in the movement patterns

of the static balance test, which can then be

interpreted as a performance issue in dynamic

rotation. This highlights the SPM as a valuable tool

for evaluating performance during rotation

techniques in RG.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the “Mongolia-Japan

Engineering Education Development” project

(J24C16), Mongolia.

Figure 4: Kinematic waveforms for ankle, knee, hip in frontal plane. A solid blue line indicates rotation technique, and a

dashed red line indicates balance test. Shaded gray areas indicate where the threshold was exceeded.

Performance Evaluation of Penché Rotation in Rhythmic Gymnastics Using Statistical Parametric Mapping

167

Figure 5: Kinematic waveforms for ankle, knee, hip in transverse plane. A solid blue line indicates rotation technique, and a

dashed red line indicates balance test. Shaded gray areas indicate where the threshold was exceeded.

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