The competition consisted of a qualification round and a final round. The top ten gymnasts in the qualification round advanced to the final. In each round, the gymnasts performed four routines (ball, hoop, clubs, and ribbon), with the scores added to give a total.[2]
Six gymnasts returned from the 2008 Olympics, and five of them made it to the final. Among them was Evgeniya Kanaeva of Russia, who became the first gymnast to successfully defend her Olympic title in the event.