The Gymblog has yet another fantastic, original post on one of the most inventive gymnasts of all time — Liu Xuan from China.
… Xuan, who was considered too old by her coaches to be competitive at the 2000 Olympics, stunned everybody by striking gold on balance beam with the routine of a lifetime during event finals. Not to mention the bronze she got in the all-around when Andreea Raducan was stripped of her title. …
… I discovered that Liu was perhaps the first to perform a Jaeger with a half turn on uneven bars, which countrywoman Li Ya amazed everybody with at Cottbus in 2006 by performing it in combination with a second Jaeger. …
Liu also pioneered a one-arm giant, which she performed in combination with a second one-arm giant into a Geinger in 1995 and 1996.
see the original article – Another innovation from Liu Xuan « Gymblog
As usual, Gymblog posts videos of those big skills. (Li Ya doing Jaeger half to Jaeger is brilliant!) And note the new use of TAGS on the that site. It’s easier to find posts TAGGED with your favourite gymnast’s name.
Who else was a great innovator in the sport of Artistic Women’s Gymnastics? Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
Two on my list are Natalia Shaposhnikov and Natalia Yurchenko, both coached by legendary tyrant Vladislav Rastorotsky.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 