Top gymnasts from around the world are converging on Rio for a competition that promises plenty of tension and high drama. From Saturday (16 April) to Friday (22 April), the Final Gymnastics Qualifier at Rio Olympic Arena will be the last chance for athletes to earn their places in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.

With less than four months to go, some of the more than 300 athletes competing in the three gymnastic disciplines –  artistic, trampoline and rhythmic – will have to return home from the competition with their Olympic dreams in tatters. Others will have earned their chance to come back to Rio and try for Olympic glory. 

“This is the last chance for gymnasts who have still not achieved qualification. They are going to give everything they have to win a place at the Olympic Games”

Nellie Kim, president of the artistic gymnastics technical committee at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)

The competitions in the three disciplines will take place on separate days, starting with artistic gymnastics from 16-18 April, then moving to trampoline gymnastics on 19 April before ending with rhythmic gymnastics on 21-22 April. One day, 20 April, will be reserved for training. Around 100 Olympic places are up for grabs.

Leading gymnasts who have already qualified for the Games have also come to Rio to gain experience of the venue ahead of the big event. Participants will include Brazil's Arthur Zanetti, the reigning Olympic champion on the rings, current world title holder Eleftherios Petrounias from Greece – who will be the first torch bearer after the Rio 2016 Olympic flame is lit in Olympia next Thursday (21 April) – and China's two world champions on the trampoline, Gao Lei and Li Dan.

Follow the competition here.

Green is the warmest colour

The event will also give gymnasts their first taste of the Olympic competition area colour. While in most gymnastic competitions the floor is blue, at the London 2012 Games a bright pink was used and at Rio 2016 athletes will be competing against a backdrop of deep green. 

“The green is pretty cool. It makes no difference to the equipment and is very striking. I like it a lot”

Arthur Zanetti, London 2012 gold medallist on the rings

“I like the colour. It's very Rio, very Brazil. It reminds you where you are. I think it gives a unique look”

John Orozco, US gymnast

Rio 2016 organisers will use the Olympic-scale event to test operations and fine-tune procedures before the Games in August. “It’s one of the events that we consider as ‘major’. In these, we simulate practically all the operations that we will have during the Games, such as venue management, transport, catering, refereeing and workforce,” said Mariana Accardo, Rio 2016’s trampoline competition manager.

In the test event and in the Olympic Games, all three gymnastic disciplines will be held at Rio Olympic Arena. “The switching of equipment between each discipline will be a very important test for us,” said Roberto Nasser, artistic gymnastics competition manager.

“It’s the first time in the history of the Games that the three disciplines will be held in the same venue on consecutive days” 

Roberto Nasser, Rio 2016 artistic gymnastics competition manager

A taste of the Olympic experience

The stadium is competely accessible to people of all ages and with any type of impairment. The competition promises to give the public a taste of the authentic Olympic experience, with little more than 100 days to go before the opening ceremony. A store in Rio Olympic Arena will sell souvenirs from Rio 2016 such as baseball caps, magnets, backpacks and other items. In intervals between performances, a DJ will keep the atmosphere lively.

The Rio 2016 store stocks a wide range of souvenirs (Photo: Rio 2016)

Gymnastics round the clock

For gymnastics fans who want a special experience, Rio 2016 sponsor Airbnb is offering a unique chance to spend the night at the Rio Olympic Arena from 20-21 April. The company has converted a VIP box into a gold medal themed room, complete with rubberised floors, a hanging rope ladder and rings. The winner and guest of the Airbnb competition will be welcomed by Brazilian gymnast brother and sister duo Diego and Daniele Hypolito, who will guide them on a tour of the venue. The winners will also have the opportunity to attend the event alongside the pair.

Winners of the Airbnb competition will enjoy a night to remember (Photo: Airbnb)

The final countdown

The Final Gymnastics Qualifier is the 36th test event of the 45 competitions on the Aquece Rio calendar, after the swimming test event began on Friday. Still to go in Barra Olympic Park are the fencing, water polo, handball, goalball and Paralympic swimming events. The shooting test event is running from 14-25 April in Deodoro. In May, Rio Olympic Stadium will host the final three test events: athletics, Paralympic athletics and football. 

Daniele Hypolito is a star performer in Brazil's artistic gymnastics team (Photo: Brazil 2016/ Gabriel Heusi)