Breaking Down: Triple Turn With Free Leg Held at Horizontal

Mexican gymnast Ana Lago is back from a bad ACL injury a few years ago and is practicing some seriously good moves. Ana is quite good on floor and won a medal at the Pan Am games a few years back - I think she won gold. Too much hasn't come out with regards to her or for almost any of the Mexican gymnasts for that case.

Ana posted a video of her performing the triple turn with ease and elegance on her Instagram account. It was seriously good, she is probably going to do a turn out of it to get that one tenth bonus. Given the way the CoP works this move is likely to get credited as an E - similarly to the triple twisting with leg held at 90°. That move is the one that Aliya Mustafina is training and now performing.

If she performs it at the Worlds the move is likely going to be named after her and that's a big achievement when only two elements are named after Mexicans. The one move that I do know is the Magaña - a triple back tuck off the uneven bars.

Breaking Down: Nabieva Release on Uneven Bars

I decided to do a breaking down of the Nabieva release upon recent news that young and promising Brazilian gymnast, Rebeca Andrade, was training said skill. The Nabieva shares the honor of being the most highly rated element on uneven bars and is considered one of, if not, the most difficult releases in the women's field.

The Nabieva release was introduced by Russian gymnast Tatiana Nabieva back in 2010. Nabieva was performing that skill very well that year but did not keep it in her program the following years. She is said to be working on the release and a video of her emerged not too long ago showing her training it. She is close to being able to do the skill but that skill is never a sure bet even when it's fully prepared. 

The Nabieva is defined as pike sole circle backward with counter stretched hecht (layout position over HB) to hang - assuming on the high bar. The skill has a G letter value and is 7 tenths. Below is the diagram provided by the FIG in the CoP. 

Nabieva's attempt,

 

Andrade's attempt,

It is safe to say that both gymnasts have better than not form on entry but misjudge the the distance. I don't think either is close to having the skill down as competition ready but they are working on it. 

- videos via Alyssia Spaan and Gymnastics Coaching. 

Breaking Down: Double Front Tucked With Half Twist Dismount on Parallel Bars

In men's gymnastics the go to dismount on parallel bars is the typical and trusting double back piked but some gymnasts are now doing forward exits for their greater value. I find it quite boring and too cookie cutter when a gymnast performs an easy double piked dismount. That's why when I see junior gymnasts perform forward salto dismounts I get exited for the future of the sport.

The dismount is not named for a gymnast but it is Oleg Verniaiev's signature dismount. The element involves the gymnast performing a double salto in a tucked position rotating forward followed by a half twist. According to the men's CoP, this element is worth an F and is the second highest value that a gymnast can obtain.

The element is grouped with the half twist with double back in tucked position but I have yet to see anyone perform it. I have no idea why they would group these two elements except for that they are worth the same value. They are very different elements and have the half twist in different positions and one is forward and the other is backward. This is just one of those idiosyncrasies of the CoP.

Junior gymnasts that are performing this dismount are Ivan Stretovich and Nikita Nagornyy, both representing Russia. I see a very bright future for the Russian program on parallel bars - other teams watch out!

Below are two videos one of Nikita Nagornyy and then of Ivan Stretovich performing this element in an exquisite manner.

Breaking Down | Mustafina Dismount - 1 1/2 Twisting Double Tucked

It has almost been four years since Aliya Mustafina introduced her namesake dismount on uneven bars, a one and a half twisting double back tuck. The weird thing is that a stretched dismount of the same element has not been performed. The problem with that element is that the CoP has no special value for it given that a full twsiting double layout is rated an F and the double double is rated a G. The CoP had the luxury of fitting the Mustafina, an E rated element, in between the D and F.

The fact that the CoP isn't clear, with regards to this element, will prevent it from being encouraged. This is a problem that is a mistake with the CoP and not really with the elements or the gymnasts. I can think of many other elements, particularly on beam, that are more difficult than their half turn less brothers but are still given the same rating.

Check the Aliya Mustafina performing her trademark bars dismount below - she sticks it too.

Breaking Down: Gymnastics Turn Combinations on Floor

The current CoP was updated to reward turn combination but not just any turns can gain the connection bonus. The CoP will only reward a very limited kinds of turns and will only give out one tenth bonuses for any turn combination on floor. For those that don't know what a gymnastics turn is then you should check my previous post here.

The CoP states that a turn worth a D or higher connected to a turn worth a B will earn a one tenth bonus. The specific turn being discussed here is a turn that is performed on one leg and not the turn that is performed on a back or another way. The other method of gaining a one tenth bonus is by performing two B elements in connection without a step.

The current queen of turn combinations is Ksenia Afansyeva, she performs two different complex turn combinations. She can perform a double attitude turn, Semenova, into a double turn - a D turn into a B turn. The second combination that Ksenia is capable of performing is a double turn with leg held at horizontal into a single turn with leg held at 180 degrees. Combining a difficult D turn into a B valued turn. Ksenia really attacks this combination turn and almost goes for a double to double combination. The video below will show that she gets a good 1 and a half turn on the second turn.

There are very few other gymnasts that have these turn combinations down but one that is doing them is Maria Kharenkova who does the same horizontal leg turn as Ksenia. I've noticed some of the US gymnasts are doing turn combinations as well but none are really working on anything extraordinary. 

I'm almost certain that I saw Anastasia Grishina training a double turn with leg at horizontal into an illusion turn but I lack the video to proof that. If anyone has any videos of combinations being done please leave a link in the comments and I will update this post. 

Breaking Down: Gymnastics Turns on Floor

Gymnastics turns have evolved rapidly since the elimination of the 10.0 CoP back in 2005-2008 cycle. Back then gymnastics were only ever doing simple double turns and sometimes single complicated turns. The only real exception was Chellsie Memmel, who was performing a double turn with leg held at 90 degrees. It was poorly performed when compared to modern day gymnasts but a complicated turn nonetheless. A turn is a move that is classified as a dance or non-acrobatic element on floor and gymnasts can only count a minimum of 3 non-acrobatic elements in a floor routine - they can do more if they wanted.

The basic turn is a turn on one leg with the option of having the free leg below horizontal. This is the turn that is often performed with ease on the balance beam. The CoP varies with the values it rewards for this particular spin but one single turn is worth an A, double turn a B, triple turn a C and a quad turn an E. There are two gymnasts that are actively attempting the quad turn and they are Aliya Mustafina and Larissa Iordache. Neither of them are consistently hitting the fourth turn but Aliya has gotten 3 and 3/4 way round.

Just thinking about spinning around on one leg four times makes me dizzy. These gymnasts attempt hard elements and then dance their way into a complicated jump.

The turn with leg at horizontal is the turn that I consider to be the most difficult to execute. As the name says it is a turn with the free leg in a horizontal position. The turn has the option of the support leg being straight or bent - so don't assume there is a deduction for bent legs.

The real difficulty with this turn is that one is carrying their free leg around for a turn or a double. There is no option to have your hand holding it up like there is in some of the other turns. The other problem with this particular turn is that the gymnasts tend to elevate it more than horizontal or drop it below horizontal. It is a very finicky turn.

This particular turn has two options in the CoP so far, a single turn worth a B and a double turn worth a massive D. I'm sure there will be a triple turn in this position sooner or later. I haven't heard anyone actually training it though. Ksenia Semenova and Maria Kharenkova are the two gymnasts that perform this turn and both connect it to a B element for a bonus.

The turn is at the 29 second mark in the video.

The third turn is a turn with the leg held at 180 degrees. The turn must be performed with the free leg held upward in a 180 degree position throughout  the turn. This turn has acquired the name Memmel turn because the double turn is named after Chellsie Memmel. This is a turn that every Russian gymnast seems to want to attempt with quite a few actually completing it. With so many Russians successfully competing it it is almost the Russian turn in my books.

The CoP has a single turn, in this position, worth a B and a double worth out of a D. The triple turn is provisionally valued out of an E. The FIG came out with that because Aliya Mustafina submitted it but was not able to complete it at the 2013 Worlds. I'm sure that Aliya, Anna Rodionova or some other Russian gymnast will perform it in a competition by the end of this cycle.

The fourth turn is an attitude turn, it is commonly called that because the free leg is held in a position associated with attitude - that's what I found online. The turn is executed with the free leg held back in attitude - knee of free leg at horizontal throughout but bent upwards. It is quite difficult to explain how this turn works unless you see the actual picture or a video. 

The single attitude turn is worth out of a B and the double is worth out of a D. The double is named after Ksenia Semenova, the 2007 World Champion on uneven bars. The only person performing it is Ksenia Afanasyeva, a gymnast from the same town as Semenova and trained by the same coach. This turn appears to have a certain technique that is hard to pick up and is the least performed in double but is more seen in a single turn.

The next turn is a seldom performed and it is a scorpion turn. I believe it is called that because the gymnast holds their leg in a way that looks very much like a scorpion. The CoP stipulates that the gymnast must hold their free leg backward and upward throughout the turn. The single turn is worth a B. It is a very difficult turn to execute and thus is hardly done yet not rewarded sufficiently for a gymnast to attempt it.

The only gymnast that I have seen perform this turn on the floor was Anna Pavlova back in 2008. After watching her performance a few times I almost thing that she was going for a double scorpion turn but couldn't get the force to rotate it.

The illusion turn is an actual turn even though its name makes it sound like it isn't actually one. This particular turn is more typically performed on the balance beam but is gaining a presence on the floor with the updates to the CoP. The code stipulates that the gymnasts must perform the turn through standing split without touching the floor with their hand or hands. Halfway into the turn the gymnast will have one leg at 180 degrees.

If the thought of doing one of those turns sounded difficult then doing two in a row should be even more difficult but that's now what the CoP says. A single illusion turn is worth out of a B and a double out of a C - yes, a C! That's a sure way to kill anyone actually training the move, maybe the FIG things that it's a dangerous move and needs to not be rewarded.

The tuck turn is making a comeback with Simone Biles performing it and in the recent past by the Australian Lauren Mitchell. The tuck turn begins in a tuck stand with the free leg either bent or held at a horizontal position. If the gymnast does two turns held at horizontal then it is worth a D  and a triple an E but if they do a double with the free leg bent then it's worth a B. A single of either version is worth a sad A.

Below is a video from YouTube that shows all of the turns in the CoP. Thanks to MostepanovaFan for making such a great video.

Breaking Down | Vault Groups/ Entries

The CoP has separated every vault entry into five groups dependent on how the gymnast enters the jump from the horse. The vault board is sometimes referred to as a horse - it is a relic from when the old vaulting board was flatter and basically a pommel horse without pommels. It is necessary to know about entries because during vault finals the women must perform two separate vaults from two different families, entries. Plus if you know the entry of the vault then you will more likely know which vault is being performed. Let's go!

Group 1
The group one vaults are by far the least valued vaults and probably the easiest - to some. They are classified as a vault without a salto. As you have learned from a previous post - a salto is referencing a double tuck, double pike, double stretched and so on. This vault can be with out without longitudinal axis turn in the first and/or the second phase.

Note: The first phase is when the gymnast has hit the springboard and is about to hit the horse. The second phase is after they have left the horse and are coming down.

Group 2
The second group is from a handspring entry in a forward style and can be with or without a full turn onto the horse, first phase. Then requires a salto forward or backward with or without a longitudinal axis turn in the landing phase, second phase. A vault like this could be one that is a handspring entry and then a double tucked forward. That's the Produnova vault, the most difficult vault ever performed by a woman.

Group 3
Like the second group the third group also has a handspring entry but includes either a quarter or half turn in the entry phase, first phase. This is called a Tsukahara entry but is rarely referenced in the women's field. The vault requires a salto backward with or without a longitudinal axis in the second phase, after the horse.

Group 4
The most performed vaults come from group four and are usually referred to as Yurchenko entries. The Yurchenko vault is named after Natalia Yurchenko and it is a round-off entry. The round-off can have no turn or a three quarter turn in the first phase. Then a salto backward is performed with or without longitudinal axis turn in the second phase.

Many of you might remember this vault as the one that McKayla Maroney performed in the Team Final at the Olympics London. It is named the Amanar vault after Simona Amanar of Romania.

Group 5
Like group four, group five has a round-off entry but includes a half turn in the first phase. Then it launches salto forward or backward with or without a longitudinal axis turn in the second phase. It is a very specific type of round-off entry that means a gymnast has to perform a 180° turn onto the horse to fit this group.

The most famous vault in this group is the Cheng vault. It is named after the famous Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei. It is a round-off half on and then stretched with a full turn and a half off.

Produnova Vault - it's a bit cowboyed but most men that perform it are just as bad.

The Amanar Vault - the almost perfect vault that Maroney dropped in Team Final. In slow motion!

Breaking Down | Positions - Tucked, Piked and Stretched/Layout

Every jump/salto has a position a gymnast's legs are in and that position is what determines the difficulty value awarded. The positions that exist in gymnastics are: tuck, pike and stretch and mostly called layout. The tuck is generally considered the easiest to perform and stretch is the most difficult to perform. The CoP has specific angles that each position must be within to be awarded credit as that type of style.

Tuck
The tucked position requires that the hip and knee angle be less than 90°. That means you are between straight and 90°, imagine yourself with your bent knees on the floor and the rest of your body straight. That position is the most easiest and probably the most commonly performed by less experienced gymnasts.

The diagram below will show exactly how the position should look according to the CoP.

Left -.10 for 90° angle and right -.10 plus cowboying deduction.

Deductions, the code is very strict these days and will deduct one tenth if you are in the squatting position. It will deduct three tenths if performed in a 135° angle, a less than pikes position with bent knees. The judges will also deduct if the gymnast 'cowboys' the jump, that means their knees aren't touching but rather open like if they were riding a horse. Pretty harsh but once you realize this you will understand why gymnasts  rarely crack 9.0 in execution.

Pike
The piked position is one in which the legs have less than a 90° hip angle. The knees aren't bent and they are at a greater than 135°. If you see the diagram below you'll recognize it very easily.

I find that a piked jump receives less deductions although they have the same deduction possibilities. They are a tenth if 90° hip angle and three tenths if greater than 90° hip angle. That means that the judges want to see a pikes position that has the legs closer to the body than not.

Stretch

The stretched position is by far the hardest position to perform and the most deducted out of all the positions. The requirement for this position is that the body is in alignment, straight at 180° when vertical. 

While the deductions only include a one tenth deduction if body alignment is out of sync by more than 10°. In actuality the judges find deductions in this position for leg separation, lack of pointed toes, bent knees, etc. It is very easy to find something wrong with a layout position and that is very evident in the scores for the people performing the move.

Note: D-Panel is in reference to the judges that are evaluating the gymnasts' performance on the difficulty level. The E-Panel refers to the judges that are evaluating the gymnasts' execution of the elements. 

Video

The video below shows a piked backflip in action. If you notice the gymnast is at a less than 90° hip angle which means she will not incur any deductions for hip angle position.

Back Somersaults - Gymnastics (Slow motion)

Breaking Down: Code of Points

Breaking down the code of points, sometimes abbreviated as CoP, in depth would take hundreds of pages and I certainly won't be doing that. I will be breaking down the code in a way that will help everyone 'out of the loop', with basic knowledge, understand gymnastics better than not. I can't work miracles but I'll try and be as specific as possible and will gladly answer any questions that are directed in the comments section. Please take note that I am breaking down the code of points for women only, while some of this information transfers over to the men's field it is much more complicated and with varying rules. Please take a breath and continue reading!

According to the code of points (CoP), I will use CoP from now on, every element, or sometimes referred to as a skill, is given an alphabet letter name that translates into a decimal score. That means that an A element is worth 0.10, a B element is worth 0.20, a C element is worth 0.30 and so on. The current CoP's has left it open for higher values being created if they deem a new skill merits it. Currently the values go from A to I or 0.10 to 0.90.

Note: The latest revision to the CoP has not updated the diagram below, it should show I is worth 0.90.

Each performance is given a difficulty score, that score is determined by adding up the highest 8 elements, 2.5 points of required elements and connection bonuses. The execution score starts at 10 and deductions in the performance are removed from the 10. The difficulty score is added to the final execution score to determine the score of a gymnast. That means an uneven bars routine with a D-score of 6.2 and an E-score of 9.0 results in a final score of 15.2.

The fact that the judges only take the highest 8 elements does not mean that a gymnast can only do 8 skills. A gymnast can do as many elements as possible within the time limits of the apparatus. The drawback of doing more elements is that the judges can find more deductions. A gymnast might still perform more if she wants to gain connection bonuses.

The vault is the only apparatus that lacks the use of alphabet letter name values, instead it uses a direct value for each vault. For example, the most performed vault is the double twisting Yurchenko and it has a value/difficulty score of 5.8. That means that it can score a maximum value of 15.8 if it had zero deductions - extremely unlikely.

The CoP has composition requirements for uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, which all gymnast must comply with to receive the composition points, 2.5 points. The universal requirement is that a gymnast must perform a D valued dismount. That means if a gymnast complies with that requirement they receive .5 under the composition requirements. If they perform a C dismount they will only receive .3, and zero for an A or B dismount.

That appears to be the bulk of the necessary information to understand the CoP. Everything else is very specific and can be reviewed by checking a copy of the CoP. I will deconstruct a performance in a later post that will hopefully help you apply the information learned in this post to an actual performance. You guys are one step closer to becoming educated gymnastics fans!

Bonus: Below is a video of the only element the CoP has classified an I value. It is a double twisting double layout salto from a back entry. Performed by Victoria Moors and named after her - commonly referred to as the Moors.

A salto means a jump but is usually only referred to jumps that rotate more than once - usually excluding twisting jumps that don't flip/rotate. In the US the term salto is referred to as a somersault but the CoP uses the term salto and to be honest it is easier to spell.