Gymnastics/Somersault

Subject classification: this is a sports resource.

A somersault is an acrobatic move where a person moves the feet over the head whilst in mid-air. The somersault can be done forwards, backwards, or sideways and is similar to a flip (or, if performed backwards, a backflip). A backwards somersault while still moving forward is called a Gainer.

Animation of a forward flip or somersault in the air.

Somersault backward from one leg.

The word comes from the old French word sombresault, which is no longer used.

A somersault is widely performed in acrobatics, namely gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining, and many other sporting events.