Analysis of EF performance by AA medallists

Our reigning Olympic all-around champion, Gabby Douglas, has received a boatload of criticism for not winning any medals in event finals, the first not to do so. This is to look at previous AA medal winners, both World and Olympic, and see what their performances have been. Allowances have to be made for the rising difficulty and the increase in event specialists who have more time to devote to their event, but there are still gymnasts capable of taking the AA and doing extremely well in event finals. It seems that people forget that who they believe is the rightful champion, Viktoria Komova, also tanked in event finals. Personally I think it was astonishing to see Gabby peak at the right time. Anyway, on with the results, in reverse chronological order. Q for qualified in, F for finished in. Qualification results where available (read: easy to find). World Championships where the AA was not contested will be skipped of course. I have picked 1987 World Championships as the start point. This is because they were the first major competition with no boycotting or extremely shady dealings (1985) in a while, had high difficulty and were far enough back to get a good idea. I don't want to go back much further, into the 60's and 70's because difficulty was so much lower then and I think it skews the ability of gymnasts to excel in every event. Team medals are not included. Analysis is at the bottom.

2012. Olympic Games, London.

AA

1. Gabby Douglas, USA.
Q- beam (3rd), bars (6th). F- bars (8th), beam (7th). NO MEDALS
2. Viktoria Komova, RUS.
Q- beam (2nd), bars (3rd). F- bars (5th), beam (8th). NO MEDALS
3. Aliya Mustafina, RUS.
Q- floor (8th), bars (5th). F- bars (1st), floor (3rd). 2 MEDALS

2011 World Championships, Tokyo

AA

1. Jordyn Wieber, USA.
Q- bars (7th), beam (3rd), floor (3rd). F- bars (4th), beam (3rd), floor (6th). 1 MEDAL
2. Viktoria Komova, RUS.
Q- bars (1st), beam (1st). F- bars (1st), beam (8th). 1 MEDAL
3. Yao Jinnan, CHN
Q- beam (4th), floor (4th). F- beam (2nd), floor (4th). 1 MEDAL

2010 World Championships, Rotterdam

AA

1. Aliya Mustafina, RUS
Q- vault (1st), beam (6th), floor (1st), bars (4th). F- vault (2nd), beam (7th), bars (2nd), floor (2nd)  
3 MEDALS
2. Jiang Yuyuan, CHN.
 Did not qualify to any event finals. NO MEDALS
3. Rebecca Bross, USA
Q- bars (7th), beam (2nd). F- bars (3rd), beam (2nd). 2 MEDALS

2009 World Championships, London

AA

1. Bridget Sloan, USA
F- bars (6th) NO MEDALS
2. Rebecca Bross, USA
F- bars (3rd), floor (5th). 1 MEDAL
3. Koko Tsurumi, JPN
F- beam (6th), bars (2nd). 1 MEDAL

2008 Olympics, Beijing

AA

1. Nastia Liukin, USA
 Q- floor (4th), bars (5th), beam (2nd). F- floor (3rd), bars (2nd), beam (2nd). 3 MEDALS
2. Shawn Johnson, USA
 Q- floor (3rd), beam (3rd). F- floor (2nd), beam (1st) 2 MEDALS
3. Yang Yilin, CHN
Q- bars (1st). F- bars (3rd). 1 MEDAL

2007 World Championships, Stuttgart

AA

1. Shawn Johnson, USA
Q- beam (3rd), F- beam (8th), floor (1st) 1 MEDAL
2. Steliana Nistor, ROU
 Q- bars (5th), beam (4th) F- bars (6th),beam (2nd) 1 MEDAL
3. Jade Barbosa, BRA
 F- vault (5th), Q- beam (6th), F- beam (7th) NO MEDALS
3. Vanessa Ferrari, ITA
 Q- bars (6th), F- bars (8th), floor (6th) NO MEDALS

2006 World Championships, Aarhus

AA

1.  Vanessa Ferrari, ITA
 Q- bars (4th), beam (8th), F- bars (3rd), beam (6th), floor (3rd) 2 MEDALS
2. Jana Bieger, USA
 Q- bars (6th, but fell foul of 2 pc. Replaced Memmel, 2nd). F- bars (5th), floor (2nd) 2 MEDALS
3. Sandra Izbasa, ROU
Q- beam (3rd),F- vault (8th), beam (2nd), floor (6th) 1 MEDAL

2005 World Championships, Melbourne

AA

1. Chellsie Memmel, USA
 Q- bars (2nd), beam (7th) F- bars (2nd), beam (2nd) 2 MEDALS
2. Nastia Liukin, USA
 Q- bars (1st), beam (6th) F- bars (1st), beam (1st), floor (2nd) 3 MEDALS
3. Monette Russo, AUS
Q- bars (7th), beam (3rd), F- bars (7th), beam (5th), floor (5th)  NO MEDALS

2004 Olympics, Athens

AA

1. Carly Patterson, USA
 Q- beam (2nd), F- beam (2nd) 1 MEDAL
2. Svetlana Khorkina, RUS
 Q- bars (1st), F- bars (8th) NO MEDALS
3. Zhang Nan, CHN
Q- beam (8th), F- beam (6th) NO MEDALS

2003 World Championships, Anaheim

AA

1. Svetlana Khorkina, RUS
 Did not qualify to any event final NO MEDALS
2. Carly Patterson, USA
 Did not qualify to any event final NO MEDALS
3. Zhang Nan, CHN
Did not qualify to any event final NO MEDALS

(2002- no AA)

2001 World Championships, Ghent

AA

1. Svetlana Khorkina, RUS
 F- vault (1st), bars (1st), floor (3rd) 3 MEDALS
2. Natalia Ziganchina, RUS
 NO MEDALS
3. Andreea Raducan, ROU
F- vault (3rd), floor (1st), beam (1st) 3 MEDALS

2000 Olympics Games, Sydney (adding in Raducan as 1st, using Olaru and Xuan in their final placements)

AA

1. Andreea Raducan, ROU
 Q- vault (2nd), floor (3rd), F- floor (6th), vault (2nd) 1 MEDAL
1. Simona Amanar, ROU
 Q- vault (4th), floor (1st), F- floor (3rd), vault (6th) 1 MEDAL
2. Maria Olaru, ROU
 Q- beam (1st), F- beam (6th) NO MEDALS
3. Liu Xuan, CHN
Q- beam (7th), F- beam (1st) 1 MEDAL

1999 World Championships, Tianjin

AA

1. Maria Olaru, ROU
 F- vault (3rd) 1 MEDAL
2. Viktoria Karpenko, UKR
NO MEDALS
3. Elena Zamolodchikova, RUS
F- vault (1st) 1 MEDAL


1997 World Championships, Lausanne

AA

1. Svetlana Khorkina, RUS
 F- bars (1st), floor (1st), beam (1st) 3 MEDALS
2. Simona Amanar, ROU
 F- vault (1st) 1 MEDAL
3. Elena Produnova, RUS
F- floor (3rd) 1 MEDAL

1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta

AA

1. Lilia Podkopayeva, UKR
 Q- bars (2nd), beam (3rd), floor (2nd), F- bars (5th), beam (2nd), floor (1st) 2 MEDALS
2. Gina Gogean, ROU
 Q- vault (3rd), beam (7th), floor (6th), F- vault (2nd), beam (3rd), floor (7th) 2 MEDALS
3. Simona Amanar, ROU
 Q- vault (1st), bars (1st), floor (3rd), F- vault (1st), bars (5th), floor (2nd) 2 MEDALS
3. Lavinia Milosovici, ROU
Q- bars (7th), beam (7th but replaced by Marinescu for final) F- bars (8th) NO MEDALS

1995 World Championships, Sabae

AA

1. Lilia Podkopayeva, UKR
 F- vault (1st), bars (2nd), beam (2nd), floor (7th) 3 MEDALS
2. Svetlana Khorkina, RUS
F- vault (5th), bars (1st) 1 MEDAL
3. Lavinia Milosovici, ROU
 F- bars (5th) NO MEDALS

1994 World Championships, Brisbane

AA

1. Shannon Miller, USA
 F- beam (1st) 1 MEDAL
2. Lavinia Milosovici, ROU
 F- vault (3rd), floor (2nd) 1 MEDAL
3. Dina Kotchetkova, RUS
F- bars (3rd), floor (1st) 2 MEDALS

1993 World Championships, Birmingham

AA

1. Shannon Miller, USA
 F- bars (1st), floor (1st) 2 MEDALS
2. Gina Gogean, ROU
 F- vault (4th), beam (3rd), floor (2nd) 2 MEDALS
3. Tatiana Lysenko, UKR
NO MEDALS

1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona

AA

1. Tatiana Gutsu, EUN
 Q- bars (1st), floor (5th),F- bars (2nd), floor (3rd) 2 MEDALS
2. Shannon Miller, USA
 Q- vault (1st), bars (3rd), beam (3rd), floor (8th, below 3 ties) F- vault (6th), bars (3rd), beam (2nd), floor (3rd) 3 MEDALS
3. Lavinia Milosovici, ROU
Q- vault (4th), bars (3rd), beam (8th), floor (3rd), F- vault (1st), bars (3rd), beam (8th), floor (1st)
3 MEDALS

1991 World Championships, Indianapolis

AA

1. Kim Zmeskal, USA
 F- floor (3rd) 1 MEDAL
2. Svetlana Boginskaya, URS
 F- beam (1st) 1 MEDAL
3. Cristina Bontas, ROU
F- floor (1st) 1 MEDAL

1989 World Championships, Stuttgart

AA

1. Svetlana Boginskaya, URS
 F- floor (1st) 1 MEDAL
2. Natalia Laschenova, URS
 NO MEDALS
3. Olga Strazheva, URS
F- bars (3rd) 1 MEDAL

1988 Olympic Games, Seoul

AA

1. Elena Shushunova, URS
 F- vault (8th), bars (3rd), beam (2nd), floor (7th) 2 MEDALS
2. Daniela Silivas, ROM
 F- vault (3rd), bars (1st), beam (1st), floor (1st) 4 MEDALS
3. Svetlana Boginskaya, URS
F- vault (1st), bars (5th), beam (5th), floor (2nd) 2 MEDALS

1987 World Championships, Rotterdam

AA

1. Aurelia Dobre, ROU
 F- vault (3rd), beam (1st), floor (3rd) 3 MEDALS
2. Elena Shushunova, URS
F- vault (1st), bars (3rd), beam (2nd), floor (1st) 4 MEDALS
3. Daniela Silivas, ROU
F- bars (1st), floor (1st) 2 MEDALS

ANALYSIS

• There are 24 All-around Champions between 1987 and 2012 inclusive.
• Of these, Gabby Douglas IS the first Olympic champion not to medal in EF.
• 2 World Champions have also managed this feat- Bridget Sloan (2009) and Svetlana Khorkina. (2003)
• Of the other 16 Olympic AA medallists, 5 failed to medal in EF. These are Viktoria Komova, (2012) Svetlana Khorkina, (2004) Zhang Nan, (2004) Maria Olaru (2000) and Lavinia Milosovici. (1996)
• Of the other 33 World AA medallists, 11 failed to medal in EF. These are Jiang Yuyuan (2010), Jade Barbosa, (2007), Vanessa Ferrari (2007), Monette Russo (2005), Carly Patterson (2003), Zhang Nan (2003), Natalia Ziganchina (2001), Viktoria Karpenko (1999), Lavinia Milosovici (1995), Tatiana Lysenko (1993) and Natalia Laschenova (1989).
• 4% of Olympic Champions, or 1/24 failed to medal in EF.
• 12.5% of World Champions, or 2/16 failed to medal in EF.
• 31.25% of Olympic bronze and silver AA medallists, or 5/16 failed to medal in EF.
• 33.333% of World bronze and silver AA medallists, or 11/33 (1/3) failed to medal in EF.
• Of these, 4 medal EF failures took place in the 2009-2012 quad.
• 3 in the 2005-2008 quad.
• 6 in the 2001-2004 quad.
• 2 in the 1997-2000 quad.
• 3 in the 1993-1996 quad.
• 1 in the 1989-1992 quad.
• 31% of all medal EF failures took place in the 2001-2004 quad.
• The worst competition was the 2003 World Championships where all AA medallists failed to medal in EF.
• The second worst was the 2004 Olympic Games where only one medal was managed, by Carly Patterson.
• The best competition was the 1987 World Championships with 9 medals.
• The second best are the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games with 8 medals.
• 13 EF medals were won by AA medallists in the 1989-1992 quad.
• 18 in the 1993-1996 quad.
• 10 in the 1997-2000 quad
• 7 in the 2001-2004 quad
• 18 in the 2005-2008 quad
• 12 in the 2009-2012 quad
• Of the 12 EF medals in the 2009-2012 quad won by AA medallists, 5 or 41.6% were won by Aliya Mustafina, in 2 competitions.
• Of the 18 EF medals in the 2005-2008 quad won by AA medallists, 6 or 33.333% (1/3) were won by Nastia Liukin, in 2 competitions.
• Of the 7 EF medals in the 2001-2004 quad won by AA medallists, 3 each or 42.86% were won by Svetlana Khorkina and Andrea Raducan in 1 competition each. Together they won 86% of all medals available.
• Of the 10 EF medals in the 1997-2000 quad won by AA medallists, 3 or 30% were won by Svetlana Khorkina in 1 competition.
• Of the 18 EF medals in the 1993-1996 quad won by AA medallists, 5 or 27.8% were won by Lilia Podkopayeva and 4 or 22.3% by Gina Gogean in 2 competitions each. Together they won half of all medals available, or 50%.
• Of the 13 EF medals in the 1989-1992 quad won by AA medallists, 3 or 23% were won by Shannon Miller.
• * NOTE: Some of the above won more EF medals in their quad, but medals they won when they didn't place in that AA are NOT counted*
• The highest total of EF medals by any AA medallist is 7, the feat of Svetlana Khorkina.
• Nastia Liukin, Daniela Silivas and Elena Shushunova all managed 6.

Clearly, gymnastics is still able to produce excellent all-arounders who are able to collect plenty of event final medals, despite the rise of event specialists which the likes of Silivas, Miller and co. did not have to contend with. Aliya Mustafina and Nastia Liukin prove this point, especially as Mustafina is still active. Gabby Douglas is quite clearly not alone in failing to garner an EF medal, and of course, may yet do so in the future. The poor record of the 2001-2004 quad is a sight to behold, and confirms how weak a period that was. It's reassuring to see that all is not lost and that we are and will continue to gymnasts sweeping medal tables.