I have always been supportive of a stuck landing bonus in competition.
This results in coaches and gymnasts making more conservative (safer) decisions in which dismount to compete. And greatly reduces the risk of injury on landing.
Best of all was a regulation we once had in place for beginner boys in Alberta which required a 3-second hold on landing in the bent knee position … before standing up and presenting.
(Young kids tend to get excited and stand up too quickly.)
We had no deduction for “feet apart”.
Last season at women’s competition in my region and was shocked to see the stick bonus disallowed for some of the “best” landings in the meet on vault.
Why? … Feet “too far apart”.
This is crazy. And may actually cause ankle injury (sprains) by forcing gymnasts to land with feet too close together.
So long as the athlete can “pivot” the heels together to touch without moving the toes, the feet are close enough together. This distance is almost shoulder width for most kids, creating a stable base of support.
In fact, I would prefer we deduct athletes who land with feet “too close together”. That would make a lot more sense medically.
photo – Kyle Shewfelt, Olympic Floor Champion at 2004 Olympics
related: About.com Gymnastics – top 10 “sticks”
7 comments ↓
re: “feet too far apart”….
Rick, i often run into this in women’s gymnastics….there are a number of instances (THIS being one of them) where the rule book is in conflict with the basic mechanics of the sport….
thoughts?
agreed. while it may be more aesthetically pleasing, it’s less stable and less safe. It seems like in WAG, there’s more pressure for the athletes to land and then quickly salute with feet together if the landing is done in the more stable position of feet apart. I would be on board with making the ideal, optimum feet landing position for stability and safety and mastery of the skill part of the requirements.
Hey Jim,
Keith Russell is BIG on this medical issue. With him now on Sport Science for FIG I am hoping it will reach the Tech committees.
Rick,
btw, I agree with you completely on the notion of feet apart, but….”must be close enough together to slide heels into a ‘Charlie Chaplin’ position….stable AND aesthetic….i tell our athletes slide heels or if you are too far apart to do that, slide one foot to the other heel first, but do NOT lift foot….
let’s not get into the FIG TC’s in this post, ok?
;->
i don’t think there should be bonus points for sticking the landing. The athletes that don’t stick get a deduction. The athletes that do stick don’t get a deduction. Bonus points aren’t necessary.
I don’t think bonus points are necessary, either. I do agree about the “feet too close” thing. Safety-wise (’cause you know the FIG is all about gymnast’s safety, right)? it is silly to make gymnasts land with feet perfectly glued.
Shergymrag,
my thoughts (and i suspect Rick would agree) is that bonus points for sticking should be for junior gymnasts ONLY….the concept is to teach/train them that this is high priority….
just my 2 centavos
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