The book "High Performance Gymnastics" is a state-of-the-art documentation of sport science research in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, coming from a collaboration between Brazil and Germany, and referring to the III. SIGARC congress, hosted 2012 in Sao Paulo (Brazil). International renowned authors provide in-detail discussions in the fields of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. Psychological topics, such as the role of the coach in gymnastics or athletes' perceptions towards gymnastics are discussed, as well as topics from biomechanics, training science, or history. The edited book "High Performance Gymnastics" may be an important source for all people who are engaged in gymnastics (i.e., researchers, coaches, judges, gymnasts).

Laurita is an assistant professor at the PhysicalEducation Department of the Sao Paulo State University (UNESP, Rio Claro,Sao Paulo, Brazil). She graduated, received a master's degree, and her PhD in physicaleducation from the University of Campinas (Sao Paulo, Brazil). She acts as aninternational women's artistic gymnastics judge. Her research interests are: sportpedagogy and gymnastics pedagogy. She is a coordinator of the gymnastics researchgroup at UNESP.

Foreword by Ivan C uk iForeword by Hardy Fink ivPreface vii1 Gymnastics challenges a view from 50 years of coaching and teaching- Keith Russell 12 The group in rhythmic gymnastics - Marcia Regina Aversani Lourenco& Ieda Parra Barbosa Rinaldi 193 Profile, motivations, and the challenges of artistic gymnastics coachesin Brazil - Myrian Nunomura& Mauricio Santos Oliveira 414 Contributions of sport psychology to competitive gymnastics - ThomasHeinen, Pia M. Vinken& Konstantinos Velentzas 655 The content of rhythmic gymnastics routinesLurdes Avila-Carvalho, Catarina Leandro& Eunice Lebre 816 Qualitative video analysis as a pedagogical tool in artistic gymnastics- Marco Antonio Coelho Bortoleto& Cesar Jose Duarte Peixoto 997 Gymnastics: a game of rules - Jean-Francois Robin 1178 Portraits of high performance rhythmic gymnastics in Brazil -analysis and proposals - Eliana de Toledo& Kizzy Fernandes Antualpa 1379 Gymnastics coaching and science: biomechanics perspectives - GarethIrwin, Genevi`eve K. R. Williams& David G. Kerwin 16310 Reflections on planning and control of sport training in rhythmicgymnastics. - Melix I. Aviles, Yolaini Govea Daz& Nelly Ochoa Borras 17711 Psychological aspects in the sport preparation of brazilian femalegymnasts participating in the Olympic Games: the gymnasts' view- Laurita Marconi Schiavon 195Author's biographies (in alphabetical order) 225