A gymnast’s routine is a carefully choreographed collection of jumps, flips, spins and dance moves that add up to a final score for her performance. It’s an art form that requires stamina, grace and personality. It’s also a complex system that includes bonus points for difficult combinations of skills and deductions for errors.
Each element is ranked according to its difficulty, and the total score is a combination of an “D” (difficulty) score and an “E” (execution) score. The D score is open-ended with no maximum value, while the E score is capped at a maximum of ten. The D and E scores are then added together to give the final score for a routine.
The difficulty and execution scores are awarded based on the difficulty and quality of the gymnast’s individual skills and the overall difficulty of her routine. Gymnasts also receive a “connection value” score, which is based on the connection of their skill sets and the seamlessness of their performance.
There are a variety of different disciplines within artistic gymnastics, each with its own set of rules and scoring systems. The most common is the balance beam, where gymnasts perform a series of swings, handstands and spins using one hand to support themselves in each position.
Some of the most basic balance beam moves are a simple swing through 360 degrees and the straight-on straddle position. More advanced moves include the double wolf turn, which has the nonsupporting leg vertical and forms a 180-degree angle with the supporting leg, or the triple wolf turn, which has the legs in the same position as the straddle position but with one leg raised backward and one forward.
Other discipline-specific moves are the clear hip circle, seen on women’s uneven bars and men’s high bar, where a gymnast circles her hips around the bar without touching it to land in a handstand. On the parallel bars, there’s a salto, which is a backward swing from a handstand and a release to re-catch in a handstand. A back flip with a half twist, called a barani, is another popular move on the parallel bars, which was introduced in 2022 by Olympic champion Simone Biles.
There’s also the hippo, which is a front swing and a handstand combined into one movement. And there are the pirouettes, which are turns on one foot performed in ballet-like harmony with other elements of the routine. Then there’s the pommel horse, where the gymnast uses the handle and ribbon to make shapes on the floor, including wave-like waves and spirals, as well as figures like the Stalder, where a gymnast circles her legs backward in a straddle position, or Scissors, in which the gymnast balances herself with one leg extended out front.
Tumbling is competed along a 25-metre sprung tack, and gymnasts must complete a minimum of eight skills in a run. A tumbling pass or run is typically a combination of an “entry” skill, followed by whips and culminating in an end skill. Often, the end skill is a double or triple somersault.
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