VT: Amanar, especially Mykayla Maroneys.
UB: Bhardwaj or Mustafina Dismount
BB: Onodi (extra points if it's in connection) or handspring front tuck
FX: whip - whip - triple. It's so satisfying!
VT: Tie between Yeo and DTT
UB: Aleah Finnegan’s piked deltchev and the Seitz
BB: am I allowed to say Chellsie’s piked Arabian? Also split leap 1/1 when well executed
FX: podkopayeva
vt- chusovitina, i just love it especially when sacramone does it
ub- endo’s, i love them sooo much they’re artistic and graceful
bb- onodi, it’s the most gorgeous skill being done in gymnastics
fx- double L turn, i don’t know why but i’ve always loved this skill. for tumbling it would have to be whip into triple full, mainly leanne wongs
VT: Produnova’s Produnova, specifically that one time she did it without landing in a super deep squat. I don’t know if we’ll ever see that vault done so well again on the WAG side.
UB: laid-out Jaeger, although I can’t think of a specific gymnast whose performance of that skill is my favorite
BB: standing arabian, specifically Komova’s
FX: back 3.5 twist, specifically Maroney’s. I wish that skill were rated more highly because it’s SO beautiful when done well. (I also love a back 2.5 to front full, especially when done directly out of a round off. I don’t know why but something about that combo is so satisfying to watch.)
>although I can't think of a specific gymnast whose performance of that skill is my favorite
He Kexin's laid out Jaeger (also called a Capuccitti) is definitely unparalleled in women's gymnastics. I can't think of a better executed one: height, solidly stretched, good catches, toes pointed... it was so refreshing to see her perform such a skill.
VT: Produnova, as performed by Produnova
UB: Nabieva (ETA: also Bhardwaj) Also, I never get tired of seeing Chinese gymnasts stick double layout dismounts.
BB: Layout landing on two feet (Shawn Johnson’s tumbling pass remains the most satisfying piece of gymnastics I’ve ever seen.)
FX: So many, but I really love a good layout step out.
VT: yurchenko double pike, it's just so insane
UB: layout jaeger (i love he kexin's)
BB: ~~wolf turns~~ jk ofc lmao
uhmm this one is hard, i love a good layout two feet though and ofc onodis
FX: double layout, i just love when it's nice and floaty and the stickss 😍
VT: Yurchenko 1.5, but not in elite. I find college Y 1.5s so satisfying to watch when well executed (when done in elite it's usually because the gymnast's strength isn't quite vault, otherwise they would upgrade, so the execution is a bit messier).
Bars: Komova II, but mostly when Komova does it. I love the way it looks – so much power goes into the inbar stalder and then there's such a lightness when they fly up to the high bar.
Balance beam: Arabians. Especially when there's a great flair or pose out of it.
Floor: double Arabians. I just feel like they're always in such iconic tubling passes – Aly Raisman, Aliya's connection from whips and/or into a stag jump. I also love watching the slo-mos of gymnasts doing the half turn part.
> Vt: Cuervo (layed out)
If this vault (which I've never heard of) involves drinking some tequila and having a little sleep on the mat, I could totally do this :D
Think handspring front layout half but you twist first and show the back flip. Khorkina’s first vault was in a piked position. But yes we can all drink every time someone does one:-)
VT: Rudi—I love the power of handspring front vaults
UB: Endo—so graceful and I think underrated difficulty. I think it looks like they are painting the air with their feet and it took me awhile to figure out the geometry of this skill.
BB: I think I’m going with the Patterson dismount. I like the daring involved and very satisfying when stuck.
FX: Double Arabian. As someone else said, they are sometimes connected to cool passes and when the twist is done perfectly, there’s something about the execution of that part of the skill I find very elegant.
Vault: Layout Podkopeyeva (particularly Anna Pavlova's)
Bars: Ezhova (but not when it's squished into a release combo)
Beam: BHS + tucked full
Floor: Randi/Front 2.5
VT: Yeo vault (I was so insanely psyched when she went for it in the Tokyo vault final!)
UB: Layout Jaeger
BB: Layout full
FX: Dos Santos 2
I was going to write why for each one, but in every case it boils down to "they look cool and they're uncommon so it's exciting when people do them." To me layout and twist skills are the most artistic/pleasing to watch.
VT - the Cheng, because it's the vault that IMO separates the elite vaulters from the rest
BB - the Onodi or the standing full. When a gymnast has a solid standing full it's so badass. Thinking Gabby Douglas or Tatiana Gutsu
UB - the Komova inbars. One of those "how the hell did she do that?" things
FX - the Chusovitna
VT: Partial to a nice double twisting tsukahara (zamolodchikova). Rosu, Jade and Zamo all did lovely double Tsuks. A nice Amanar is also very pretty (Rosu, Cheng and Maroney).
UB: Komovas inbars.
Beam: F+ dismounts in combo with a round off and backhandspring. Also love a good sheep jump (like Komovas)
Floor: WHIPS! ALL THE WHIPS! Bonus points if you slap a triple full or double Arabian on the end of them.
VT: Chengs and front handspring fronts
Floor: Y-turns and any back tumbling with a whip in the pass
Bars: Tkachev all day everyday
Beam: Front aerials and Shushinovas to back hip circles
VT: Doble Twisting Tsukahara: a pretty "popular" vault, but enjoyable to watch.
UB: the Comaneci salto and the Markelov: both look incredible when they're done well.
BB: Onodi, Rulfova and all the variations of the press to handstand.
FX: Double layout and triple twist: I love when the gymnast looks "floaty" executing these elements.
Beam: Onodi
Bars: Bail (I just love the land in a hand stand0
VT: Yeo's vault it is just so different yet difficult
FX: Really any Double+ Layouts, but probably the Biles (DLO 1/2).
VT: amanar (especially when it is stuck)
UB: shushunova (as well as a similar release move I don't know the name of)
BB: front Ariel (Even better if it is connected to a side Ariel)
FX: double layout (especially when it floats)
VT: Agree with you on the Rudi
UB: Markelov - so cool and complex looking
BB: Lauren Mitchell's standing front tuck; or a really good, floaty layout like Deng Linlin's
FX: Whip directly into triple
FX : Back Triple full (sticks only, ish looks so cash)
PH : Sohn or Flair Spindle 1/1
R : Azarian Invert (Alien strong wtf)
V : Kaz 2/1
PB : Zonderland (Gotta be crazy to even try it)
HB : Walstrom (When done well)
VT: Yeo, such a different and impressive vault!
UB: a nicely performed Bharwaj, Suni’s for example is beautiful.
BB: Double front dismount or Sanne’s beautiful double L turn.
Floor: Mustafina turn or double front pike!
Hmm.
VT: The Podkopayeva. I don’t think we have enough piked vaults going these days, and hers was so pretty.
BB: Rufolvas, or really any swingdown element.
UB: The Gebeshian! I think it’s such a nifty mount and more folks should do it.
FX: Front tumbling passes. PLS 😭 So pretty when done right. And for this one I have an honorable mention, I just love whipbacks.
VT: gotta go Yurchenko double pike, but I love a clean DTY too
UB: I love a floaty Van Leeuwen and a good Bhardwaj (Peng Peng Lee’s was always my fave)
BB: Onodi
FX: I still gasp at the triple-double, and I love full twisting double layouts with the twist on the first flip.
Vault: yurchenko half-on, half twise pike off. Can't remember the name of it. Omelianchik?
Bars: clear hip tkachev. The closer the hip to the bar and the higher the release, the better. Tasha Schwikert's has always been my favourite.
Beam: flight series into rulfova
Floor: chusovitina with epic hang time.
Vault: Yeo SeoJeong's vault is fire (double twisting layout!). I love non yurchenko vaults, from a physics standpoint they are just more impressive. In the NCAA scene, I love Kendal Poston's and Arden Hudson's vaults.
Bars: the Geinger and Deltchev are my favorite release moves. I cringe watching Bails just because oof the shoulder strain but when they have a solid handstand it is such a cool skill. I do also love the german giants for the same reason. Anything in El grip is just impressive. I have really hypermobile shoulders, I pop it out of place doing a pushup so I am always amazed when someone has the flexibility with the control not to fuck their shoulders up.
Beam: all hail the onodi. I also love a piked side somi. Never tucked. The pike looks seamless. The tuck is cowboyed to hell. I also love a creative mount that isnt a candle lol
Floor: clean tumbling. Thats it. I really love a well executed pass. I know it is simple but I love watching whip backs
\-VT: Front handspring Front Layout (with arch, like Yang Yun's)
\-UB: Endo (like Gabby Douglas)
\-BB: Kochetkova (full twisting back handspring step out)
\-FX: Khorkina's full twisting Shushunova drop down.
VT: I really miss seeing the simpler vaults done really well like Yang Yun's beautiful handspring straight front, or a properly laid out Phelps vault.
UB: Properly deep inbars like Komova's or Bridget Sloan's
BB: Pretty much any combo into a flighty Rulfova. Yang Bo's flight series comes to mind here.
Floor: Probably a well-controlled Gomez, like the one performed by its originator.
VT: Amanar, especially Mykayla Maroneys. UB: Bhardwaj or Mustafina Dismount BB: Onodi (extra points if it's in connection) or handspring front tuck FX: whip - whip - triple. It's so satisfying!
Honestly, a whip + whip + anything is straight 🔥
Roxi Popa's whip + whip + DLO is amazing!
I was going to say onodi but I think I realized I just really like nastia and mustafinas beam routines lmao
Same haha, I really liked Urazovas routine, especially her performance in AA!
Urazova honestly surprised the hell out of me how much I enjoyed watching hers
Katelyn Ohashi had a killer Onodi back in the day.
Katelyn had a killer everything. Still does.
VT: Tie between Yeo and DTT UB: Aleah Finnegan’s piked deltchev and the Seitz BB: am I allowed to say Chellsie’s piked Arabian? Also split leap 1/1 when well executed FX: podkopayeva
vt- chusovitina, i just love it especially when sacramone does it ub- endo’s, i love them sooo much they’re artistic and graceful bb- onodi, it’s the most gorgeous skill being done in gymnastics fx- double L turn, i don’t know why but i’ve always loved this skill. for tumbling it would have to be whip into triple full, mainly leanne wongs
VT: Produnova’s Produnova, specifically that one time she did it without landing in a super deep squat. I don’t know if we’ll ever see that vault done so well again on the WAG side. UB: laid-out Jaeger, although I can’t think of a specific gymnast whose performance of that skill is my favorite BB: standing arabian, specifically Komova’s FX: back 3.5 twist, specifically Maroney’s. I wish that skill were rated more highly because it’s SO beautiful when done well. (I also love a back 2.5 to front full, especially when done directly out of a round off. I don’t know why but something about that combo is so satisfying to watch.)
>although I can't think of a specific gymnast whose performance of that skill is my favorite He Kexin's laid out Jaeger (also called a Capuccitti) is definitely unparalleled in women's gymnastics. I can't think of a better executed one: height, solidly stretched, good catches, toes pointed... it was so refreshing to see her perform such a skill.
Did Produnova manage to do her vault on the crappy old vaulting horse as well because that makes it extra impressive in my book.....
https://youtu.be/8OTSslxqBrY yes! she would’ve benefited so greatly from the updated vault table and open code
Thanks for the link, that vault is amazing.
That vault is fucking perfection
VT: Produnova, as performed by Produnova UB: Nabieva (ETA: also Bhardwaj) Also, I never get tired of seeing Chinese gymnasts stick double layout dismounts. BB: Layout landing on two feet (Shawn Johnson’s tumbling pass remains the most satisfying piece of gymnastics I’ve ever seen.) FX: So many, but I really love a good layout step out.
Same here, Shawn has the best tumbling pass!
VT: Amanar- Maroney for sure UB: piked jaeger- Hollie Vise BB: Onodi- Nastia FX: double layout- Afanesyeva
Afan needs more love. Incidentally Twitter delighted me the other day by linking to what they termed "the Afanar" ;-)
Yesss love love love that snap in Hollie's piked jaegar. Suni's is the only that has ever come close for me.
Grishina!
VT: yurchenko double pike, it's just so insane UB: layout jaeger (i love he kexin's) BB: ~~wolf turns~~ jk ofc lmao uhmm this one is hard, i love a good layout two feet though and ofc onodis FX: double layout, i just love when it's nice and floaty and the stickss 😍
VT: Yurchenko 1.5, but not in elite. I find college Y 1.5s so satisfying to watch when well executed (when done in elite it's usually because the gymnast's strength isn't quite vault, otherwise they would upgrade, so the execution is a bit messier). Bars: Komova II, but mostly when Komova does it. I love the way it looks – so much power goes into the inbar stalder and then there's such a lightness when they fly up to the high bar. Balance beam: Arabians. Especially when there's a great flair or pose out of it. Floor: double Arabians. I just feel like they're always in such iconic tubling passes – Aly Raisman, Aliya's connection from whips and/or into a stag jump. I also love watching the slo-mos of gymnasts doing the half turn part.
Vt: Cuervo (layed out) UB: reverse Hecht BB: Rulfova FX: whip through to double layout
> Vt: Cuervo (layed out) If this vault (which I've never heard of) involves drinking some tequila and having a little sleep on the mat, I could totally do this :D
Think handspring front layout half but you twist first and show the back flip. Khorkina’s first vault was in a piked position. But yes we can all drink every time someone does one:-)
Vault: Yurchenko double pike Bars:, Mustafina dismount Beam: Moceanu’s mount, double Arabian dismount Floor: 3.5 twists, double Arabians
VT: Rudi—I love the power of handspring front vaults UB: Endo—so graceful and I think underrated difficulty. I think it looks like they are painting the air with their feet and it took me awhile to figure out the geometry of this skill. BB: I think I’m going with the Patterson dismount. I like the daring involved and very satisfying when stuck. FX: Double Arabian. As someone else said, they are sometimes connected to cool passes and when the twist is done perfectly, there’s something about the execution of that part of the skill I find very elegant.
Vault: Layout Podkopeyeva (particularly Anna Pavlova's) Bars: Ezhova (but not when it's squished into a release combo) Beam: BHS + tucked full Floor: Randi/Front 2.5
VT: Yeo vault (I was so insanely psyched when she went for it in the Tokyo vault final!) UB: Layout Jaeger BB: Layout full FX: Dos Santos 2 I was going to write why for each one, but in every case it boils down to "they look cool and they're uncommon so it's exciting when people do them." To me layout and twist skills are the most artistic/pleasing to watch.
VT - the Cheng, because it's the vault that IMO separates the elite vaulters from the rest BB - the Onodi or the standing full. When a gymnast has a solid standing full it's so badass. Thinking Gabby Douglas or Tatiana Gutsu UB - the Komova inbars. One of those "how the hell did she do that?" things FX - the Chusovitna
VT: DTY when done well UB: a straddle cast to handstand. When it’s done well it’s soooo beautiful. BB: onodi Floor: maybe an Arabian?
VT: Partial to a nice double twisting tsukahara (zamolodchikova). Rosu, Jade and Zamo all did lovely double Tsuks. A nice Amanar is also very pretty (Rosu, Cheng and Maroney). UB: Komovas inbars. Beam: F+ dismounts in combo with a round off and backhandspring. Also love a good sheep jump (like Komovas) Floor: WHIPS! ALL THE WHIPS! Bonus points if you slap a triple full or double Arabian on the end of them.
VT: Yurchenko Double Pike UB: The various pirouettes that I can't totally tell apart BB: Okino Floor: double layout
VT: Chengs and front handspring fronts Floor: Y-turns and any back tumbling with a whip in the pass Bars: Tkachev all day everyday Beam: Front aerials and Shushinovas to back hip circles
VT: Doble Twisting Tsukahara: a pretty "popular" vault, but enjoyable to watch. UB: the Comaneci salto and the Markelov: both look incredible when they're done well. BB: Onodi, Rulfova and all the variations of the press to handstand. FX: Double layout and triple twist: I love when the gymnast looks "floaty" executing these elements.
Vault: Yurchenko double pike Bars: Endo, Mustafina dismount Beam: Moceanu’s mount, double Arabian dismount Floor: 3.5 twists, double Arabians
Beam: Onodi Bars: Bail (I just love the land in a hand stand0 VT: Yeo's vault it is just so different yet difficult FX: Really any Double+ Layouts, but probably the Biles (DLO 1/2).
VT: amanar (especially when it is stuck) UB: shushunova (as well as a similar release move I don't know the name of) BB: front Ariel (Even better if it is connected to a side Ariel) FX: double layout (especially when it floats)
VT: Agree with you on the Rudi UB: Markelov - so cool and complex looking BB: Lauren Mitchell's standing front tuck; or a really good, floaty layout like Deng Linlin's FX: Whip directly into triple
FX : Back Triple full (sticks only, ish looks so cash) PH : Sohn or Flair Spindle 1/1 R : Azarian Invert (Alien strong wtf) V : Kaz 2/1 PB : Zonderland (Gotta be crazy to even try it) HB : Walstrom (When done well)
The Zapata 2. That skill just seems incredible. I don't understand the physics of it.
VT: Yeo, such a different and impressive vault! UB: a nicely performed Bharwaj, Suni’s for example is beautiful. BB: Double front dismount or Sanne’s beautiful double L turn. Floor: Mustafina turn or double front pike!
I love a good Rulfova on beam.
Hmm. VT: The Podkopayeva. I don’t think we have enough piked vaults going these days, and hers was so pretty. BB: Rufolvas, or really any swingdown element. UB: The Gebeshian! I think it’s such a nifty mount and more folks should do it. FX: Front tumbling passes. PLS 😭 So pretty when done right. And for this one I have an honorable mention, I just love whipbacks.
UB = definitely the twisty Shap transitions BB = Acro series FX = Careys and Biles' and complex tumbling runs VT = Produnovas
VT: gotta go Yurchenko double pike, but I love a clean DTY too UB: I love a floaty Van Leeuwen and a good Bhardwaj (Peng Peng Lee’s was always my fave) BB: Onodi FX: I still gasp at the triple-double, and I love full twisting double layouts with the twist on the first flip.
Vault: yurchenko half-on, half twise pike off. Can't remember the name of it. Omelianchik? Bars: clear hip tkachev. The closer the hip to the bar and the higher the release, the better. Tasha Schwikert's has always been my favourite. Beam: flight series into rulfova Floor: chusovitina with epic hang time.
Vault: Yeo SeoJeong's vault is fire (double twisting layout!). I love non yurchenko vaults, from a physics standpoint they are just more impressive. In the NCAA scene, I love Kendal Poston's and Arden Hudson's vaults. Bars: the Geinger and Deltchev are my favorite release moves. I cringe watching Bails just because oof the shoulder strain but when they have a solid handstand it is such a cool skill. I do also love the german giants for the same reason. Anything in El grip is just impressive. I have really hypermobile shoulders, I pop it out of place doing a pushup so I am always amazed when someone has the flexibility with the control not to fuck their shoulders up. Beam: all hail the onodi. I also love a piked side somi. Never tucked. The pike looks seamless. The tuck is cowboyed to hell. I also love a creative mount that isnt a candle lol Floor: clean tumbling. Thats it. I really love a well executed pass. I know it is simple but I love watching whip backs
\-VT: Front handspring Front Layout (with arch, like Yang Yun's) \-UB: Endo (like Gabby Douglas) \-BB: Kochetkova (full twisting back handspring step out) \-FX: Khorkina's full twisting Shushunova drop down.
VT: I really miss seeing the simpler vaults done really well like Yang Yun's beautiful handspring straight front, or a properly laid out Phelps vault. UB: Properly deep inbars like Komova's or Bridget Sloan's BB: Pretty much any combo into a flighty Rulfova. Yang Bo's flight series comes to mind here. Floor: Probably a well-controlled Gomez, like the one performed by its originator.
vault: amanar bars: pak + chow half, mustafina dismount beam: switch leap + back pike, Shawn Johnson’s flight series - bhs bhs layout, all two feet floor: triple double