Top 10: Vaults

While I do like incredibly difficult vaults performed well, my favourites are generally much easier but are beautifully performed. Yang Yun is never going to be described as a top vaulter, but hers are exquisite works of art that I could watch all day and I much prefer them to sloppy Rudi's and double twisting Tsukuhara's. The fact that yurchenko twisting varieties are the easiest to learn and are still well rewarded by the code is sad as it means the incredibly aesthetic but easier vaults are not going to be seen anytime soon.

10. Shannon Miller, USA 1992 Olympics AA

The most beautiful FTY ever, so flighty and perfect.

9. Mo Huilan, CHN 1996 Olympics AA

And this is the most beautiful DTY ever performed. Mo gets great height and dynamics on this, as well as textbook form and landing.

8. Elena Produnova, RUS 1999 Universiade AA

Elena did this vault several times, but this had the best and most upright landing by far. It's not pretty but it's a massive feat that she landed it at all- it hasn't been landed properly by anyone else. Incredible power, great to watch.

7. Svetlana Zelepukina, UKR 1996 Olympics Compulsories

It's an easy vault because it's a compulsory one- but it is absolute perfection, love this.

6. Lilia Podkopayeva, UKR 1994 Soapberry Shop AA

Perfection, fabulous vault.

5. Lilia Podkopayeva, UKR 1996 Olympics AA

Absolutely beautiful in the air, spectacular.

4. McKayla Maroney, USA 2012 Olympics TF

The best quality that isn't slow motion. This is the greatest amanar ever done and really is incredible- the height, the form, the block, the landing. Outstanding.

3. Meng Fei, CHN 1995 Worlds TF

Flawless performance of an amazing vault.

2. Yang Yun, CHN 2000 Olympics TF

Yang Yun makes vaulting artistic and elegant.

1. Yang Yun, CHN 2001 France Telecoms EF

The first vault. Few can maintain the form throughout this vault..and it's practically impossible to stick so that doesn't take away from it. Just lovely.

Honourable mention: Simona Amanar, Elena Gurova, Natalia Laschenova, Olessia Dudnik, Alicia Sacramone, Ariella Kaeslin, Joana Juarez, Cheng Fei, Monica Rosu, Vanessa Atler, Oksana Chusovitina, Vanessa Zamarripa

Amazing uneven bar releases

The problem with the majority of these is either that they are now illegal in the code of points or the fact that they end in a dead hang and/or require empty swings which incurs an 0.1 automatic deduction, which means they are unlikely to be done again, especially as they are so difficult in the first place. I would love to see Viktoria Komova, Yao Jinnan and Beth Tweddle have a go at them though.



 
The legendary Olga Korbut performing the famous Korbut flip at the 1972 Olympics. Korbut also had creatives moves elsewhere but judges did not appreciate her 'circus tricks' and she never cored as highly as she should have.


Elena Mukhina adds a full twist to the Korbut flip. Mukhina was a true all-arounder and swept the 1978 Worlds. She was a shoe-in for the 1980 Olympics but was paralysed a few weeks before due to her over-ambitious coaches insisting on a dangerous roll-out move, which she landed on her neck in training. These moves have since been banned for women but are still fine for men to perform.


 Mo Huilan competes a Gaylord, a tucked salto over the bar. This was also competed by Bi Wenjing and Meng Fei. What's almost as amazing as the release is the flight Mo gets on her transitions. The Chinese today are famed for their dead-hang transitions and laboured kips, Mo however shows them how it's done.


Zhou Duan performs an unheard-of Gaylord II, which does not bear her name. This is a front tuck with a half twist to regrasp the bar, and is pretty similar to a Kovacs that the men perform. Just as above, it requires empty swings and a dead hang, both verboten. Zhou was also a beast on vault, difficult floor and a really difficult beam which appears to include a barani. She took bronze on vault at worlds but form issues and falls kept her from taking centre stage.



Kim Gwang Suk competes a counter-Kim, also known as a Marinich. I'm not too sure how to define it but the motion of it is where the difficulty lies. This routine is always overshadowed by the age falsification scandal. Kim was no more than 12 here. Her age, the release AND the fact that it was done in combination in a routine which also features other releases is incredible. Bent knees aside, that was an issue she could have fixed had she been allowed to keep competing. This has never been performed in competition since, but footage has surfaced of an unknown high-school girl competing it from a more difficult toe-on position. There are other, such as Nabieva's layout over the bar and the Church, but these are the ones I love the most.