World Gymnastics introduces real-time scoring

The governing body announced on Wednesday that the judging visualisation system, developed by SEIKO watches, will come into force at the World Cup taking place next weekend in Sofia.

The competition in the Bulgarian capital, which runs from 28-30 March, will provide a preview ahead of the system's introduction at the 42nd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 12-16 August.

According to World Gymnastics, the SEIKO system is expected to make the process more transparent and consistent by displaying the timing and details of each judge's deductions in real time, making every decision clearer and easier to understand for everyone involved.

The Superior Jury will be able to view all evaluations at a glance and instantly replay any relevant action, which the governing body says "provides a strong and reliable overview and enables quicker, more informed decisions".

"By making the process more open and accountable, it strengthens trust among athletes, coaches, and audiences," said World Gymnastics President Morinari Watanabe. He added that it delivers a more efficient and consistent judging process, "helping to ensure that decisions are clear and made without delay while maintaining the smooth running of the competition".

Seiki Kitagawa, senior vice president of SEIKO Timing, said that in implementing this measure, aspects such as "improving transparency and the immediacy of judging" had been taken into account, as well as ensuring that it would not disrupt 'competition rhythm'. This will enable judges to reach consensus more quickly, thereby contributing to fair and clearly understood competitions.

Athletes and coaches have also expressed optimism ahead of its debut in Sofia. Judges are also entering a new era with this system, which is intended to have long-term continuity. "It is a very positive step for our sport and for everyone involved in judging," said Noha Abou Shabana, president of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, who said this new approach will "help judges in their work and contribute to smoother and more transparent competitions".

The next World Cup event, which was due to take place in Doha from 15-18 April, was officially cancelled last week due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, as confirmed by the sport's governing body. The organisation left no room for doubt. "The event will not be rescheduled," it added, underlining the firmness of the decision taken by its leadership team.

In an effort to safeguard competitive fairness and avoid penalising athletes, World Gymnastics confirmed that the world rankings will be calculated using each gymnast's three best results from the remaining five events of the circuit, regardless of their absence from the cancelled Doha stage.