Category: vault

Yurchenko on Simone

I was lucky enough to see Natalia Yurchenko compete in person. She instantly became one of my favourite gymnasts.

Natalia was the first woman to compete her eponymous vault, at 1982 Moscow News.

The element was controversial at first, Yurchenko explained. Another parallel to Biles’ daring innovations.

β€œThere were a lot of debates to allow it or not to allow it,” Yurchenko recalls. β€œI performed it in America, and the American judges, some of them, were really against it because it seemed way too dangerous …

A boycott of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles meant Yurchenko never got the chance to compete her element at the Olympics.

Natalia Yurchenko on Simone Biles’ feat: “I was dreaming about seeing it”

FIG value of Yurchenko double pike

Exactly nobody ever claimed the Women’s Code was logical.

They can’t even find consistent spellings of named skills.

6.6Β is the provisional value.

Spencer:

… It’s low for me.

I’ve mentally had this at 6.8 since we heard about it, and I still agree with me. But honestly it’s not as low as I thought they were going to go, and not as egregious a case of undervaluing as the beam dismount from 2019.

The problem with Simone’s double double beam dismount in 2019 being given an H value is that it did not adhere to any kind of recognizable precedent or logic established by previous values of other beam dismounts.

On beam, a double tuck dismount is a D.

Adding a full twist to that bumps it up three tenths to a G.

And then adding another full twist bumps it up…1 tenth? To an H?

Any logical progression falls apart pretty quickly, and the FIG’s post hoc explanation of the value as an effort to preserve the safety of gymnasts was fully laughable coming from an organization that, for example, doesn’t allow a touch warmup for event finals …

Balance Beam Situation

Grace McCallum – Vault

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Simone competes Yurchenko Double Pike

Making HISTORY … again.

Amazing.

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It’s this kind of thing that keeps the greatest of all time motivated.

Nancy Armour – Simone Biles maintains gold standard despite 19-month layoff between competitions

Shilese Jones – Vault

Fantastic.

I just wish she had held that STICK. In Men’s Gymnastics it would have been deducted.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Simone – shock and disbelief

Many male gymnasts have done Yurchenko Double Pike into the PIT.

On to competition mats, very few.

None this easily.

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Simone’s Yurchenko Double Pike

On competition mats.

EASY.

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Tanigawa Wataru – Vault

Piked double front half. STICK.

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FIG Vault mats are dangerous

With or without bad lighting, they are too narrow for the most powerful vaulters in the world.

I’ve seen many injuries from missing the mat completely.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.