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September 30th, 2011 | floor (men), Gymnastics, judging, safety
On a “roll out” skill on Floor.
It’s hard to watch. But the video is here. (1min 15s)
Long banned in Women’s Artistic gymnastics, we see more of these dangerous skills in 2011 than ever before. They should be devalued in the next Men’s Code of Points.
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5 comments ↓
Ban these for men.
The arguments I’ve heard for keeping roll out skills in MAG as opposed to WAG are that there are physical differences between the sexes that make these moves safer for males and that male gymnasts who are allowed to do these skills are older and more able to decide for themselves if they are willing to take the risk.
There are elements of truth to the above, but not enough to convince me the benefits of doing these outweigh the risks.
I have always disalowed them in my gym. If that limits me as a coach, so be it. I don’t want to be the one responsible for teaching an element that even I cringe at every time I see one.
Safe for some – sure. Safe for all – absolutely not.
I have even had my own athletes argue with me over it, and I simply do not want them in my gym; male or female.
If Dragalescu can be injured rolling out, anyone can.
Good call, Ryan.
Over 10yrs at Taiso, Saskatoon we had no gymnasts roll out — except one — Kevin Sharfe. He did that same skill for years, safely. But we were hyper concerned the entire time. These days it’s pretty much impossible to compete FIG without them, though.
I had an athlete who was eager to do this skill in competition, and while I was the assistant coach, I didn’t let him do it except in the pit. However, he got so damn good at arabian 1-3/4 and tucked thomases last year, that we put them into his routines — complete extension before catching the roll on his hands at a very reliable angle to roll out safely and with control on a sting mat on the competition floor. I was never worried. He also learned to lay them both out, also exquisitely.
However, later when he finally transitioned to meets in which sting mats were NOT allowed, he himself got REALLY nervous about them, and gave himself a little scare one time, so we removed them. I am not sure if he will get the courage back to do them, and frankly, I am okay with that.
They are dangerous skills. However, I have often wondered why FIG is against allowing a 2″ mat or sting mat. (And why isn’t vault on a mat similar to a skill cushion?!?!) It would make gymnastics SAFER.
Oddly, at Japan Junior the girls were allowed extra matting and the guys weren’t. Though it was a FIG meet.
I’m all for extra matting. The Russians allowed it first, as I recall.
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