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How did Per Henrik Ling's calisthenics influence the floor exercise?

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Simone Biles of Team United States performs a flip above the balance beam during the Women's Balance Beam Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. — gymnastics Simone Biles performing on the balance beam at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (delayed until 2021). She won a bronze medal in the event.

Per Henrik Ling, a Swedish pioneer of physical education, significantly influenced the development of the floor exercise through his work with calisthenics.1

In 1813, Ling founded the Royal Gymnastics Central Institute in Stockholm, where he developed a system of exercises intended to provide medical benefits to the athlete. Central to his approach were "free calisthenics"—exercises performed without the use of hand apparatuses such as wands, clubs, or dumbbells. Although Ling’s primary focus was on health and physical well-being rather than competitive sport, these free-form movements eventually evolved into the modern artistic gymnastics discipline known as the floor exercise.1