Beginner: Twists

Layouts and other saltos, by themselves, get boring. So we dress them up by adding twists. Among the women, I've only ever seen a 3.5 twist at the very most, though in MAG it's not uncommon to see quadruple twists. There are two types of twists: Full and half, which are self-explanatory. They can be combined any way the gymnast wishes. This can make describing them tricky.

Let's say you're watching a floor routine. The gymnast does a lovely double arabian (remember arabians from the other post about saltos?), dances, and prepares for a second tumble run. She runs, does a round-off, and twists. You're sure it was a backwards twist, but you're not sure how many. It could be a 1.5 or a triple twist for all you know. How can you tell? Luckily, it's easy once you get the hang of it!

Counting Full Twists:

Actually counting out full twists individually in real time is very difficult and takes a lot of practice. So instead of attempting to actually "count," I instead look at the gymnast's body in the air and the time it takes to complete the full set before hitting the ground. Don't know what I'm talking about? Here are some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eLeCaT_PLw

(Copy and paste the link into your browser and press "Enter")

This Level 8 gymnast shows a good example of a full twist (it begins at around 0:50 seconds). Notice that it's easy to tell when there's only one twist. Her body can be clearly seen through the air, and she has plenty of time before her landing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-iHKcDaBaQ

I couldn't find a good example of a floor routine with a double twist, so I chose out of MostepanovaFan's excellent tumbling guide. The double twist happens at 2:43. See how it's more difficult to track her movement through the air and there's less time for her to complete the twists? The triple twist at 2:54 is the worst. She is almost reduced to a blur of motion and flailing limbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4w1Wy04xlg

Here (starting at 0:50) is a triple twist slowed down considerably. The twists take so long to complete she is very nearly on her feet again before they are done. But it's very easy to count them in slow motion.

Counting Half Twists:


Half twists are trickier in my opinion. There are two questions I ask myself when trying to decide if the gymnast has tacked on a half twist to her set (it's always at the end): What direction was she facing during her handspring, towards the middle of the floor (back) or towards the crowd (forward)? and Is she facing the same or the opposite direction when she finishes? If she is lands the opposite direction she started, she has added a half twist to her set. If not, it's all full rotations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEhPZgDA5mw

Here is Yana Demyanchuk performing at the 2009 WOGA classic. Her first pass is a 2.5 twist. Notice how she starts out backwards (after her round-off), but ends up forwards?

So, once you have established the gymnast's body shape in the air, asked yourself those essential questions, the result what twist combination they just performed.

This post might sound confusing, but seriously, it's just practice, practice, practice. I'll often find myself naming elements to myself while watching a gymnast's routine and if I can't name one, I go look it up. It's the only way I've found to get better!

Advanced: Olympic Silver Medalists

Yes, yes, it's all well and good when a lovely, hard-working gymnast wins the All-Around competition at the Olympics. But the silver medalists are who I look at (at least once I've stopped cheering for the champion) first. They have worked equally as hard, maybe even more so, but bad luck, injuries, or pressure have caused them to surrender that sweet accomplishment.

1972 (Munich, Germany) - Karin Janz, Germany - She couldn't pull out the AA, but she got a sweet consolation prize by getting gold on the bars--even beating out Olga Korbut, the darling of gymnastics at this time.

1976 (Montreal, Canada) - Nelli Kim, then-Soviet Union - The 8th most successful gymnast of all time (according to MostepanovaFan), she did even better than Janz in the consolation department, taking the floor and vault titles as if to say, "HAH, Nadia! You can have the stupid bars and beam, I take the power events!" Between the two of them, it was a clean sweep.

1980 (Moscow, Russia) - Maxi Gnauck, Germany and Nadia Comaneci, Romania - In one of the most lopsided Olympics in gymnastics history, Nadia got a taste of Kim's anguish in the AA, but the catfight was not over between them. It was probably feeling a little claustrophobic on that podium when they had to share the floor gold. That plucky little tomboy Maxi was a treat on the bars, and deserved to stand alone for that medal.

1984 (Los Angeles, California, USA) - Ecaterina Szabo, Romania - Another controversial games brought an American all-around champion (which was a "le gasp!" moment at the time) and Romanian silver medalist. Without the Soviet Union (who boycotted the Games), America and Romania just had the most marvelous time, skipping around the arena, snatching medals off the judge's tables as they went. I imagine it as sort of like a house party the kids have while the stern older parents are away. We were sorta kinda nice though and reluctantly shared the bars title with China, though.

1988 (Seoul, South Korea) - Daniela Silivas, Romania - Okay, if I'd had my way, Daniela would definitely be the Olympic champion. Such grace, such power, such originality! But alas, it was not to be. Elena Shushunova got it, and while I like her too, Silivas is just what I look for in a gymnast, so I can't help but like her more. The scoring at this point was, I think, vastly inflated in favor of the Soviets, because Daniela won bars, beam, and floor, plus got a bronze vault medal, but didn't win? Meanwhile somehow Elena gets a silver and bronze and the judges go, "Okey-dokey, here's our Olympic champion!" That just doesn't add up. Ah, well.

1992 (Barcelona, Spain) - Shannon Miller, USA - Much as I love Shannon, Tatiana's story is just too awesome. Yes, I'm American, and we are massive suckers for the underdog, even if it means we get second. For those of you who don't know, Tatiana was originally an alternate for the AA, but got to go and went on to beat Shannon by only .012 of a point. It was pretty cool to see a relatively unknown gymnast go on to win. A Cinderella story, I think.

1996 (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - Gina Gogean, Romania - These games are special in a couple of ways. First, we finally get to see more flags on the podium than Russia and Romania. Ukraine joins the mix, with the "Queen of Half Turns" (as I call her in my head), Lilia Podkopayeva taking the gold. Seriously, this girl did half turns like they were going out of style. She looked awesome doing it, however. Also, this was the last year for compulsories at the Olympics. Compulsories are great for basic skills, but time-consuming for a major competition like the Olympics. As for Gina, I don't know much about her, but I'm not going to skip 1996 just because I don't know much about the gymnast! What kind of blogger do you think I am?

2000 (Sydney, Australia) - Maria Olaru, Romania [official] Simona Amanar, Romania [disputed] - I frown upon the Sydney Games. The vault was set too low, the commentator (at least in the coverage I watched) kept calling a gymnast by the wrong name or it would show up wrong on the footage, and Andreea Raducan was stripped of her AA gold over cold medicine, for goodness sake! To add insult to injury, the substance Andreea was given (pseudoephedrine) is no longer banned! If the scandal had never happened, the order would have gone: Andreea Raducan, Simona Amanar, and Maria Olaru. As it officially stands, Amanar has gold, Olaru takes silver, and Liu Xuan of China has bronze.

2004 (Athens, Greece) - Svetlana Khorkina, Russia - Ah, Svetlana Khorkina. Also known as "Queen Khorky" by renowned gymnastics blogger The Couch Gymnast or simply "The Queen," it's hard to believe this she has never won an AA gold, despite being in three separate Olympics. The twice-over World Champion and five-time World gold medalist on bars is beloved the world over for her elegant gymnastics and spunky personality. I must admit, I didn't like her at first (my house is probably going to be egged tonight for saying that), but she has definitely grown on me. Even when I didn't like her, I knew her prowess on the uneven bars, but just never liked her lack of height and the fact that she is stick-thin. I prefer a little meat on a gymnast's bones. Every time she landed a tumbling pass, I expected to hear her femur snap clean in half. But she deserved it. Way to go, Svetlana! You are missed in your retirement!

2008 (Beijing, China) - Shawn Johnson, USA - Now, who could forget this friendly rivalry between Shawn and teammate and gold medalist Nastia Liukin? Everyone knew they would mount the podium, but no one was sure in what order. Shawn qualified for event finals in floor exercise, and seemed to be getting her gold that way, but was edged out by Sandra Izbasa of Romania. She settled for silver again. Finally, in the beam final, being the last gymnast to go (oh, the drama!), she nailed her extremely high difficulty beam routine and got her long-awaited gold. She has since officially retired and will not try for another Olympic games, but she was said to be by an announcer, "the kid [who] does not know how to lose!" As a Junior elite, she was two-time National Junior Champion, won the Pan American Games and the Pacific Alliance Championships. Her Senior debut was announced with a win at the American Cup, another Pan American Games and American Cup. She was Senior National Champion twice, World Champion and a World medalist on floor. For heaven's sake, she won the Olympic Trials! Yet she never lost that down-to-Earth attitude and bright grin. She also attended public school while training, something almost unheard of in elite gymnastics. "Gymnastics is kind of like a candy for her; you know, she can never get enough of it," said her coach Al Fong. And while you were here, Shawn, we gym fans couldn't get enough of you! We miss you!

Beginner: Saltos

In gymnastics, we are fond of our jargon. Terms like "stacking" and "Gaylord" (no, it's not an insult, it's a skill on high bar and uneven bars) tend to litter our conversations until they are practically foreign tongues. One of the terms most commonly heard, especially when one fan is trying to impress another, is "salto." This is a formal term for a flip or somersault. But we can't just leave it at that, right? So we've invented many different types of saltos. They are: Tucked, piked, laid-out, and Arabian.

Tucked - the most basic form. The legs and bent and held close to the chest during flight. When talking about it conversation, it's called simply a "back/forward tuck" or if done at the end of a tumbling series, a "punch front," because of the forceful landing. A punch front can also be done by itself on the beam. If done twice in the air before landing, it's a "double back."

Piked - Similar to tucked, only the legs are straight as opposed to bent. Too often nowadays, this skill (especially double piked backs on floor) is performed poorly, with the legs separated and the feet "flexed" (that is, flat instead of pointed). But if done well, as the above gymnast is, it's a lovely skill. Called a "piked forward/back" or "double pike" if done twice in the air.

Laid-Out - This can be a very difficult skill to learn, as it requires the gymnast's muscles to be both flexible and strong. As the name suggests, the body is not bent in any way, but keeps a straight shape through the air. Layouts (as they are called) are interesting skills because they can be done correctly in two different ways. One way is completely straight, no bending in the back. This is becoming less common. The second way is what the gymnast above is doing: She has a small but noticeable curve in her back. Check out Nastia Liukin's double layout dismount off of uneven bars for a more extreme and obvious version of this.

Arabian - this is not an arabian, but rather an excellent example of how not to do one. Basically, an arabian is like a double front (two tucked saltos done facing forward), but what makes it unique is that the gymnast begins the skill doing a back handspring. The gymnast pushes off, does a half turn in the air, and does the tucked salto(s), making them an arabian. Correct form for the arabian is like any other skill: Legs together, toes pointed, and so on, but lots of gymnasts, even elite athletes, have lots of trouble with this. If the legs are so far apart it's obvious, then the salto is called a "cowboy" or "cowboyed." This term can also be applied to regular tuck backs and punch-fronts, but is much more common for arabians. Unfortunately, Chellsie Memmel (who is performing the double front in the above photo), you are doing one of my pet peeves in gymnastics. I saw so many cowboyed arabians when I first started watching gymnastics I thought that was what the skill was supposed to look like! But fear not, my fellow fans, it's possible to do it correctly. The current British team seems to be especially good at arabians, so check them out for some lovely ones!

Advanced: New Gymnasts on the US Elite Scene

So, much as I love the current US Senior national team, it is nevertheless a post-Olympic year and the start of the quad preceding the 2012 games, so it's time to look forward to some new blood. I watched each of them perform once, so this is what I saw right then, not necessarily how they perform all the time. More like a first taste.

Sabrina Vega - Part of the US Junior National squad who won gold at the Junior Pan American  Championships, I was immediately drawn to her when I first saw her compete. Her coaches, Sorin and Teodora are products of the Karolyis and Teodora was a teammate of Nadia Comaneci. Having already coached champions in France, they set their sights on the US. Sabrina describes them as her "second parents," and indeed they seem to be strict but kind and effective coaches. She seems to have the makings of America's next wunderkind, as she has been regional and state champion basically since Level 8, it seems. She has lovely European form but awesome skills to back it up. And, can I just say this right now without being creepy? I love white leotards. Sabrina wore one the first time I saw her, and was able to see that she has a six-pack! That would be why I love white leotards. It lets you know that this is an elite sport, with lots of iron-clad muscle. Sometimes it just seems like people lose sight of that in all the music and makeup and talk of who has the best leo.

Bridgette Caquatto - The younger half of the awesome Caquatto gymnastics sister act, this leggy little pixie has the cuteness factor going strong, but I'm not sure how I feel about her. Her constantly flexed feet on bars irks me to no end. Her long legs give her good twists on floor, but the music is a little weird (a techno remix of a classical song), and the dancing is just not strong and fast enough to look right with the music. Still, I have confidence she'll grow into herself, perhaps in time to follow in Mackenzie's steps and make the Senior National team.

Sophina DeJesus - Oh, how do I love this girl. Much as the constant debate between grace and power is present in my mind (as it is in every gymnastic fan's mind), I value originality above all else, especially with the new code nearly making optionals seem like the old compulsory routines. Enough with the constant Aerial walker/flic-flac/layout-stepout combination on beam already! About half the time, the gymnast loses the .2 connection bonus anyway. In my head it's just "the dreaded beam series." Anyway, her floor is a sight to see. It's techno like Bridgette's, but she makes it work for her. She makes that floor her bitch. Enough said.

Briley Casanova - Besides having a kick-ass last name, she has the power of WOGA behind her. But unlike most WOGA gymnasts, she seems almost Shawn-esque with her strong petite build and unfortunate tendency not to hit her splits on beam. But considering Shawn's success, is that really necessarily a bad thing? Props also to her for not having the dreaded beam series either. Her floor is uninspired, good tumbling for sure, but boring recycled WOGA choreography. Bars is pretty good, with crisp turns (which is coincidentally what I love about her gymmate, Rebecca Bross) and mostly hit handstands. I'm bad at judging vault, but she seemed alright, if a little chaotic.

Jordyn Wieber - This young lady with the weirdly spelled first name is kind of like Sabrina in that you may have actually heard about her once or twice. Most Junior National Team members (which all of these ladies are) toil away in obscurity until they reach the blessed sixteenth year of their life, when they can finally get some recognition. You may have heard her name connected to the Tyson American Cup, which she won (and why oh why did the principal sponsor have to manufacture meat? I've always thought that just sends the wrong message). She has also been the Junior National Champion, which is often the stepping stone for Senior National Champ and who knows what other glories and riches? Her Shushunova (jump with stretched hips to planche) mount on beam is safe for the code yet original, as is her attempt to relieve the monotony of the dreaded beam series with a one-armed flic-flic. Standing full to tuck back is risky, but nice, and I'm amazed she would have enough energy, as that combo is her final skill before dismount. Her floor features a swingy jazz number and she at least smiles throughout it, and has decent tumbling. Uneven bars--meh, could be better. Minor form breaks that bother me, but seems to have a good handle on her dismount (full twisting double straight). I love how Elfie goes, "Just like Shawn Johnson!" Uh, no, Elfie. Think double twisting double straight. That woman is, quite frankly, a moron. Even more surprising than Elfie's little gaffe (which we've come to expect, haven't we, US fans?), is her handspring 2.5 on vault. Impressed me quite a bit that she'd even attempt it as a Junior. Yeah, I like her.

Alexandra Raisman - When I watched her floor routine, somebody compared her to Alicia Sacramone. I can see why. She has explosive tumbling, but unlike Alicia, can't seem to control her landings, and bounces all over the place. Her dancing is lackluster, and in some parts, it seems like it's been copied and pasted from Alicia's routine (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery--just not in gymnastics, that's just lazy). Beam had some interesting acrobatics (flic-flac back handspring back layout was the best), but she refuses to hit her splits either on floor or beam, as though allergic to 180 degree angles. Stuck her double back dismount cold, however. Bars, not even going to talk about it, I'm sorry. Well, maybe a little. Most of the Junior team seems to struggle with their flight to high bar transition, coming just a little too close, but Raisman was so close she ended up in a dead hang. Crossed ankles, separated legs at one point, and it all adds up "ugh." Vault seems to be her best skill, with lots of good height and glued legs.

Well, that's only 6 of the 11 team members, but it's late, I'm tired and you wouldn't want me to give away the whole surprise, right? Just look for more the US Junior National Team in the coming years!

Beginner: What is Gymnastics?

Anyone who hasn't been hiding under a rock on a deserted island knows what gymnastics is. Or at least, they think they do. In reality, gymnastics isn't one sport, it's a whole group of sports held under this catch-all term. This group covers every desirable athletic trait of the human body: Strength, speed, flexibility, agility, endurance, balance, and coordination. Different sub-sports (as I call them) under the gymnastics group emphasize different traits in their athletes, but ultimately includes them all. Thus, there is a gymnastics specialty for every body type, athletic level, and interest.

USA Gymnastics includes the following sub-sports in their organization:

Artistic Gymnastics is the sport everyone is familiar with and what comes to mind when someone says "gymnastics." In fact, this program is so popular it is split into two groups: Women's (WAG) and Men's (MAG). It is also one of the most popular sports at the Olympic Games. Gymnasts compete on several different apparatuses (4 for the women and 6 for the men), leaping and tumbling their hearts out. Each AG meet, whether local or Olympic, has an All-Around competition (the gymnast with the highest score on all the apparatuses) and individual Event Finals for specialists. There is also a Team Final. The apparatuses for women are: Vault, Floor Exercise, Uneven (or Asymmetric) Bars, and Balance Beam. The men compete on: Vault, Floor Exercise, Still Rings, Parallel Bars, Horizontal (or High) Bar, and Pommel Horse. Artistic Gymnasts tend to small and compact in build, to ease their flight through the air, and the sport emphasizes physical strength.

Rhythmic Gymnastics may seem at first glance like some kind of costume party with all the glittery makeup and dramatic leotards, but trust me, it is all business. With very rare exceptions, this is the only sub-group exclusively performed by women, due to its (some would say excessive) emphasis on flexibility. Gymnasts perform on a less-springy floor exercise mat, as they do not tumble and their apparatuses are small enough to be held and manipulated easily. They are: Hoop, Clubs, Ribbon, Ball, and Rope. Rhythmic Gymnastics also has an All-Around, Event Finals, and Team Finals, though their TF is structured differently. In AG, athletes compete their routines individually, and their scores are all added up to see which team wins. In RG, teams compete a special routine including all of them on the floor at once. It's very exciting and awesome to watch 5 athletes toss, catch, and spin 5 or more different pieces of apparatus, all at once and in perfect harmony. The ideal Rhythmic Gymnast is tall and lean, to aid flexibility. However, if you've ever seen a still photograph of a gymnast performing, they have quite a bit of lean muscle. RG is also an Olympic sport, both Team and Individual.

Trampoline and Tumbling, where height and endurance is the name of the game. Every gymnast except Rhythmic is expected to have at least a basic knowledge of tumbling, but T & T gymnasts elevate it to an art form. Because of their similarity, the two sports are combined into one (and share international meets and a World Championship), but you are either a tumbler or a trampolinist. Tumblers show off an insane amount of flips and twists on a long, very bouncy strip similar to a vault runway in AG. This is known as power tumbling. Trampolinists can show off their skills in two events: Individual and Synchronized. There is a even that combines the two known as Double Mini Trampoline. The first two are self-explanatory, but Double Mini is relatively new. It's hard to explain, so I'll quote directly from the USAG website: "[Double Mini] combines the horizontal run of tumbling with the vertical rebound of trampoline. After a short run, the athlete jumps onto a small two-level trampoline to perform a rebounding trick immediately followed by a dismount element onto a landing mat. Double mini is similar in concept to springboard diving, using a mat instead of water." Trampoline is a new Olympic sport (introduced at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney), but Tumbling is still not. As with AG, strong gymnasts will find themselves at home doing T & T, though they tend to be larger in size.

Acrobatic Gymnastics starts to get into the more obscure side of the gym world. It is not represented at the Olympics but has its own World Championships and other major international meets. Acro is never performed alone, making it ideal for gymnasts seeking an exclusively team sport. In fact, instead of apparatuses, it is divided instead into types of teams competing on a floor: Men's Pairs, Women's Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Women's Groups (3 gymnasts), and Men's Groups (4 gymnasts). Whatever group they are, the gymnasts use their teammates as the a kind of living apparatus, climbing and standing on each other, and tossing each other into the air for high-flying leaps. In fact, think of AcroG as cheerleading on steroids, although cheer gets its ass handed to it by Acro. For one thing, cheer relies on bases of four or more girls for aerial stunts, even at its highest levels. Even for women in Acro, they will have only one or two bases supporting them, and performing much higher and more impressive flips and twists as well. There is little tumbling in Acro, since the emphasis is on working together. It is usually used to connect a group skill. All body types and flexibility levels are welcome in Acro, since bases need to have strength and stability, tops need to be light and supple, and middles (for groups) need to display some of both.

Group Gymnastics (also Gymnastics for All) is almost completely unknown, probably because it caters to all levels of gymnasts, and is mainly recreational. However, there is a World Championship. I watched one women's routine, with 7 athletes. It seems to comprise no tumbling, but mostly leaps, jumps, and basic holds. The challenge would be keeping such a large group in synch. The music it is performed to also allows vocals with words, unlike every other sub-sport. I know very little about it, but it deserves recognition here.

Well, there you go! A little introduction into what is really meant by "gymnastics" on the world stage!

A Note On Posts

I have decided that since gymnastics is (and should always be) for everyone, I've decided to begin each of the posts with one of two levels: either "beginner" or "advanced." Expect beginner posts to include explanations of rules, scoring, elements, ugly/pretty leotards, etc. Advanced posts are much like my first, so that I don't feel like I have to explain every bit of jargon and so on.

This way, if you are new to the sport and stumble across my blog, you can work up to the Advanced posts without having to consult five different dictionaries and websites. I'll consolidate it all here. Plus it's my opportunity to show off my gymnastics knowledge. I know, I'm vain.

Advanced: The Toyota International Gymnastics Competition

So, here it is, my first post! Let's get right down to it, shall we?

In Toyota City on December 12th, some lovely gymnastics went on. Among them was US lady Mackenzie Caquatto, who took silver on the Uneven Bars. Any medal for the USA is a plus in my book, but bars especially, as it is my favorite apparatus.

I received my first impression of Miss Caquatto at the Covergirl Classic, where she could only compete on bars because of a fractured knee, which happened six weeks before the competition. The commentators were annoying, saying that six weeks is "plenty of time." Maybe for normal people, but not for an elite gymnast who sustained a career-threatening injury. Her routine features a Tkatchev, a Jaeger, and a Ray with plenty of lovely height. Not as impressed by her Stalder uplift to high bar, however, and her Pak was rather close to the low bar for comfort. Also a diluted dismount to protect her knee. I'm sure to deserve that Silver in Tokyo she performed much better.

Koko Tusurmi got the gold! Yay! This has just been her annus miribilis, hasn't it? Japan's first women's World all-around title, now this! She and Bridget Sloan are both pleasing me very, very much.

Another one of my favorites, Kytra (KEE-truh) Hunter received bronze on floor. Another well-deserved win. If you haven't seen her floor routine, there is ample video coverage of her performing it, again at the Covergirl Classic. Her opening pose is pretty awesome, as is the music and choreography. While not the balletic grace many older fans tend to value, it's dynamic and fun to watch. And her tumbling! Simply explosive. In order, she performs:

-Double Layout
-Dos Santos 1 (Piked Double Arabian)
-Round-off 1.5 twist/forward full twist combination (sorry if I got that wrong. I'm terrible at counting twists!)
-Double Arabian

All this talk of upcoming American gymnasts! I'm going to go re-watch the coverage of the Covergirl Classic (where Nastia also put in an exhibition on beam) now.