Gymnastics News: Yao Jinnan Bars Routine

Yao Jinnan has been the gymnast who has been training more uneven bars routines since the 2012 Olympics. As many Olympic viewers may remember she finished fourth during the uneven bars finals due to a low D-score. Last year she was dead set on learning the Mo salto, a very dangerous bars release that is highly rated, which is named the Gaylord in the men's field. It's a really nice move to see but ends in a dead swing and is just very dangerous. That experiment didn't last long as she fell a few times trying to perform it and ultimately dropped it from her exercises.

Pak Salto picture via Examiner

This year she has had two sets, one with very complex combinations that add releases on top of releases. I saw her performing it in an empty arena - apparently Chinese fans aren't really interested in seeing B events or they do it in closed arenas. Either way she has dropped that routine again and has dropped a new routine on us.

Yao's new routine involves easier combinations and has cleaner lines - I would go out on a limb and say it will be the one that she does at the Olympics. The opening set is that which I said would be Viktoria Komova's first set, Komova II to Pak Salto to Chow with a half turn. That combination has two E elements, a D element and four tenths of combination bonuses. Then she performs four pirouettes and a release in combination. Dismounting with a full-twisting double back in a layout position - rated an F.

That performance is a very complicated uneven bars set but will ultimately get a lot of deductions because judges are very strict on pirouettes. She will also be performing nine elements meaning that the judges can find more deductions than not. That is the risk that a gymnast takes when they want a higher D-score from combining elements. The bars set is clearly a 7.0 D-score meriting routine but will be worthy of a Gold medal at the Olympics - only time will tell.

Via Gymnastics Coaching