> Male gymnasts competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1896. Women's gymnastics made its debut more than three decades later, in 1928. When women starte

> Male gymnasts competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1896. Women's gymnastics made its debut more than three decades later, in 1928. When women started competing, the sport was tailored to fit the preconceived gender roles at the time, experts say. When male gymnasts competed in the Olympics in 1896, it was designed from the start with preconceived gender roles with the initial routines highlighting masculine strength. When women started competing, those gender roles were applied again so that while the male version continued to highlight masculinity, the female version highlighted femininity instead.