Here’s how to make sense of the women’s gymnastics competitions.

Women’s gymnastics is a marquee sport at the Summer Olympics, but otherwise doesn’t get much attention outside a dedicated group of fans.

I’m one of those fans, as well as a former (decidedly not Olympic-caliber) gymnast, and I’m here to help you watch with a more discerning eye. Do you want to know what’s required on each apparatus? Which skills are hardest? How to tell if a routine is great or just good? You’re in the right place.

For each apparatus, we’ll start with the basics and then move into technical details. You can choose a quick primer or go as deep as you want.

Our gymnastics guides: