August 26, 2014 1:42 PM EDT
G ymnasts are known for their incredible flexibility, but rhythmic gymnasts take it to new levels, wrapping their bodies around ribbons, clubs, balls and hoops—all with a dazzling smile.
The secret to their rubber-band like contortions? Hours and hours of training, including more time spent in splits—hanging from bars or stretched across foam blocks—than the rest of us would consider humane. These athletes, competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, represent the eight top-scoring qualifiers in mind-bending acrobatic routines in the individual all-around finals.
Shannon Gardiner of South Africa competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images Irina Annenkova of Russia competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Ahmad Yusni—EPA Irina Annenkova of Russia competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Ahmad Yusni—EPA Laura Zeng of the United States competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images Irina Annenkova of Russia competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images Laura Zeng of the United States competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images Takana Tatsuzawa of Japan competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images Takana Tatsuzawa of Japan competes in Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification on day ten of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Nanjing OSC Gymnasium on Aug. 26, 2014 in Nanjing. Feng Li—Getty Images More Must-Reads from TIME Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You? The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision