Get ready to dive into the hardest skills in men’s gymnastics, the ones that can make or break a routine. From the elusive H-rated elements on Parallel Bars and Pommel Horse to the jaw-dropping J-rated feats on Floor, we uncover the history, the evolution, and the gymnasts behind these gravity-defying elements.
Hidetaka Miyachi (JPN) at the 2017 World Championships in Montréal where he submitted his eponymous skill, currently the element with the highest rate on High Bar in the MAG COP
From historic World titles to new skills, breakthrough nations and rising juniors, 2025 offered a clear picture of how Men’s Gymnastics continues to evolve 👀
Heather Parker, entering her second season as a gymnast at Central Michigan after transferring from Georgia, posted an important article on College Gym News:
College gymnastics can project an image of perfection–skills look effortless, and the athletes finish successful routines with glowing smiles. Teams broadcast the wins, celebrations, recruits, and rankings on social media.
Less often discussed is what goes into making a team successful and what happens behind the scenes to make those exciting competitions happen.
Jason Vonk, a former assistant coach at George Washington, Yale, and Georgia, had 12 years of experience across the three universities when he moved on from college coaching.
According to Vonk, a lot of what defined his time in college gymnastics wasn’t reflected in the polished version of the sport that fans and recruits see. For him, it was a system marked by fear, silence, and a culture where, as he puts it, “head coaches get complete leeway, and the assistants can’t report them, or they will lose their job.” …
The issue is not that college gymnastics markets itself as joyful, unified, and aspirational. Those moments are genuine, earned, and meaningful. The problem arises when success is treated as proof that everything behind the scenes must therefore be healthy. https://t.co/WdGjTPP3hfpic.twitter.com/JlRlqd5h1i
Slang for a 1-footed front somersault in parkour and tricking.
Some say the name is (somehow) vaguely associated with chiropractor Dr. Larry Webster, who developed something called the Webster Technique for pregnancy. His thinking was that some kind of acrobatics could help assist in rotating a breech baby.