An athlete who performs physical exercises and movements requiring flexibility, strength, and balance, often in competitions.
From Greek 'gymnastes' (one who exercises naked), from 'gymnazein' (to exercise naked), from 'gymnos' (naked). Ancient Greeks trained athletes nude in gymnasiums, which influenced the term's origin.
The term 'gymnast' comes from Greek athletes training naked—'gymnastics' literally means 'the art of naked exercise,' which shows how ancient Greeks saw the human body as naturally beautiful and a subject worthy of development.
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