Classics Wrap-Up

The Good

• SABRINA'S BACK!!!!!
• Dang Maggie
• The comebacks!
• Christina came in second on floor and stayed on beam!!!!
• Laurie is back
• Gabby Perea had awesome bars and beam
• Three juniors had standing fulls!
• THE PATTERSON
• Gabby's being consistent on beam?
• Simone's new floor is wonderful
• Kyla upgraded?!?!
• And is doing a Chow (I've wanted her to do that for so long!!)
• And a Bhardwaj
• Bailie got a new floor
• Texas Dreams in general took risks on floor
• Ragan came in second!
• Morgan Hurd has gorgeous bars! Such an improvement on last year!
• Simone has one balance check on beam and that was her only big error anywhere?!
• All the gymnasts on the podium scored over 60

The Bad

• Jazzy has new floor music. Bah, loved the Jesolo music.
• Laurie needs better variety in her bars composition
• No Marissa Oakley!
• Aly missed the Dos Santos punch front!
• Kyla fell twice on bars- what???
• CHRISTINA FELL ON BARS!!!! NO!!!!
• Brenna fell on her Van Leeuwen
• I was really excited for Alyssa Baumann's floor after podium training and then it was unremarkable in competition

The Ugly

• Skinner still vaulting off one hand
• Jordan Chiles WHY IS SHE DOING AN AMANAR?
• What my sobbing will be when the Rio and Tokyo teams are announced THERE ARE TOO MANY AMAZING GYMNASTS!

Trends I don't understand that need to die

Elsa the Ice Queen leotards with light blue fabric and nude mesh: Laurie and Jazzy were preparing to be Gators with that leo and imitating some of their worst. This was only among the juniors- I was going to say Mykayla improved her fashion sense but then I remembered she turned up in metallic pepto pink.
Archery choreography: Bailie was the only one with it here but I've seen it elsewhere and it should not be a thing anymore.
Choreographed facial expressions in floor routines: It's especially bad when they're given to the most expressive and magnetic gymnasts (like, say, Laurie and SJS, maybe?). Expression is important, but I'm a firm believer that a) expression =/= facial expression and b) it should be natural! When it's choreographed, it's just cheesy.

I'm impressed!

Aria Brusch: This girl has power! She had some rough moments, but she's got a ton of potential! Her vault was beautiful and powerful. Aria has a standing full on beam! Her bars were my favorite, even though she flew off the mat on the dismount. She has a Ray+Pak combo and a DLO 1/1!

Gabby Perea: And another standing full here. Her beam work in general is way ahead in difficulty and I personally thought her E score on beam was a bit low. Her bars are also beautiful and her swing is sooooo smooth!

Morgan Hurd's bars: She went from not even having a high-low transition and just a 4.2 D score last year to a 5.8 D score this year! And her execution has improved! I seriously can't believe it! She was just so gorgeous.

Aly's Patterson: THAT PATTERSON! She stuck it. She landed it upright. Better than Carly's famous 2004 AA landing! Amazing.

New Amanars: In the senior session, that is. Chiles needs to stop that RIGHT NOW! Maggie's was easily better, but Aly didn't even do one in PT?!

Gabby Douglas's beam: NOT the same athlete we saw in 2012

Twin City Twisters: In general. So much good from this gym! Both the juniors caught my eye. Tori Tatum has some difficulty she needs to build, but she's got a lot of great work! Abby Paulson was the biggest surprise to me of the competition. She only has an FTY, which isn't too good since she turns senior next year, but everywhere else she was great! Her bars remind me a lot of Maggie's last year- not the cleanest, not the most difficult, but very workable. And she does a double arabian dismount! Her floor was one of my favorite from the juniors. Beam was definitely her biggest standout- even with the fall, she packed that routine full! And Maggie. Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. What a crazy update on last year! And I love this new floor.

The podiums (/top 5)

Juniors

Jazzy- I was definitely a fan of her bars. The Maloney+Geinger was my favorite! And her releases don't all three come in a row! And again, I miss the Jesolo music. I was obsessed with that music! Nothing special about this new cut. But she busted out the tumbling! Both H elements in her routine. Impressive. She had the top beam, but nothing about it really stood out to me. she proved her national title was no fluke. As for next year, she looks to be heading for a utility player spot which, honestly, I don't see being used on the team.

Ragan- RAGAN DID IT!!! She landed on the podium! Her bars are still frustrating, and I think they should try to include more Stalder variation pirouettes.She definitely is going all-out with the difficulty. I don't know what's going to happen with that standing full- we know from Amy Chow that the pike full isn't going to be a thing, but it's not really a layout? If she tumbles in, maybe it could be more laid out. It took me a few watches to go for her floor, but now I love it! With the exception of the waving and whistling, they make it too chintzy. And I love the DLO!

Laurie- I was expecting to be more excited having Laurie back. I do like her beam choreography. I'd like to see her add another LOSO to her series, I think it would look beautiful. She has really good swing on the bars and is still the Stalder queen, but can she please change up the composition? Same thing as with Brenna in 2013. She changed hers! Oh, her floor. Those facial expressions! Stop them! Otherwise, such a great routine. And I love her combination front tumbling pass! I'm favoring her over Norah for the national title.

Seniors

Aly Raisman- Because there's too much to talk about in these top five just to do the podium. I still can't believe she busted out the Amanar without even training it! I think this is a good bars routine for Aly. She looks better than I remember from before. I love all the connections in her beam routine! She definitely is still steady Aly. And that Patterson!!! And ugh, her floor! The mount!! Such a ridiculous pass and she's just floating it. I'm still sad about that fall on the punch front out of the Dos Santos. I really like the DLO, and it's way better than the triple it's replacing. I just love the tumbling in this routine! Her double L spin was also amazing! Aly is just incredible and she's gunning hard for the Worlds team.

Bailie Key- Is it just me, or is her DTY not as good as when she was a junior? This was also not the Bailie I remembered on beam- what happened to the triple? It was such a pretty triple too! Definitely my favorite part of her beam was the super light leaps and jumps. That whip layout still is doing her no favors and I still want to see her change it to something different, but to no avail it seems. Smooth and steady though. Bars has somehow become Bailie's big event. She's so floaty! I especially love the Ricna+Pak. She had lovely execution. Her new floor is pretty controversial, but I love it! Even though I'm not for this whole archery choreography thing. I still think that wolf turn is butt ugly, but at least it isn't just randomly thrown in in this routine. Love this new DLO! Her tumbling is class. I don't see why everyone hates the slide so much? I think it's cool and different and suits the music and the whole style of the routine. I do wish she had a bit more of a statement ending. I'm becoming a little obsessed with Bailie's floor!

Maggie Nichols- The Amanar! She's really busting it all out. She's really made a huge improvement on bars. She's so much crisper now! I really like what she's doing with her new floor routine. I still think the choreography is a little mish-mashed, but she is really rocking it. The ending is definitely my favorite part. Her double-double is an amazing addition. Maggie has just blossomed so much in the last year.

Gabby Douglas- I'm a little underwhelmed by her DTY. She doesn't have the same explosion. However, her blocking technique seems to have improved. So that's good! Hers is another floor routine that's had controversy. I personally was not too excited about her Jesolo floor, and I think this is more up Gabby's alley. I really like the staccato parts, but I don't know about the rest of it. Her bars also leaves me underwhelmed- I don't get all that into a bunch of empty Stalder variations. Can they add some pirouettes in there? I'd love to see her Amy Chow it with that Endo on the low bar. And the piked Tkatchev+Pak! Love it! If they do something with all those Stalder variations on the low bar, I think this would be a cool routine. I still can't get over her beam! Not the same gymnast we saw in 2012! She's got so much more confidence now. And the standing full is still so upright! It's just beautiful. I really think it's sad that Gabby seems aware that haters have been doubting her comeback, and even sadder that she seems to feel the need to prove herself to them. Just another reminder that even the older gymnasts are still young. I think Gabby is going to have a harder time making Worlds than Aly, even if she keeps up her second place at Nationals. She's a great all arounder, but she doesn't have the standout events right now to push her to the forefront.

Simone Biles- What to say, really? Two sixteens, lowest score 15.1, 6.9 D score on floor, 62.4, just another day's work. Is it odd that the more she does the less I find to say? I love that she brought back the 2013 connections on bars. Her technique and form have really tightened up. Her flight is also getting really smoothed out. She seems to be prepping for another beam title. She's never had issues on the wolf turn, but that as the best she's done last night! The barani is fabulous and she strolls into it. I really am feeling this new choreography. My favorite is definitely the toe rise. I love the changes in levels and it really is one of the most artistic beam routines in the world right now. The new floor is out of this world! I honestly don't think it's quite there yet- she didn't seems to perform the whole thing all out and it felt a little empty, and the end was out of time with the music. I really liked the choreography before the double-double, though. I'll reserve judgement for Nationals. The Biles combination is easily my favorite pass of the routine. She's working her way to a near complete medal sweep at Worlds!

Favorite routines

Juniors

MY PRECIOUS BABY STAYED ON!!

She fell, but she did a Dudnik tumbling pass!

Beautiful flexibility and a mature presentation

Seniors

My Top 10 Favorite Floor Routines

I like good ol' classical-style routines, but I prefer exciting dance. I love routines which are innovative in their choreography. The tumbling also needs to be on par with what was considered difficult at the time, and I love combination passes. This was by far the hardest list to compile, so I decided just to pretend I would have 10 routines to watch and those would be the list. I'm still not super satisfied, but I suppose it will do. I'm making up for having no Chinese bar workers by having a bunch of Soviet and 80's floors. And I don't even like the Soviets or the 80's that much, relatively speaking.

10. Kim Zmeskal 1991 Worlds AA

A great, exciting routine! Who doesn't love her triple whip pass? And it goes perfectly with the music! I love the jazz music and Kim expresses it so well. I love how there's never a dull moment in this routine. There is such a density of choreography in this routine. Jazz routines are some of my favorite and this one is the quintessential example.

9. Diana Dudeva 1988 Olympics Team Optionals

Diana was the fortunate Bulgarian to take a bronze on floor, but she and Deliana were both robbed. They both had difficult tumbling way ahead of their time. I know her DLO has form breaks, but I love it anyway. My favorite part of this routine is the surging quality it has. There just seems to be such a strong pulse to it. She uses such sharp and angular movements that work together to create this amazing forward motion. I also love how she uses broken lines and angular shapes to make this innovative routine.

8. Ludivine Furnon 2000 Europeans EF

This was probably the best European event final ever and Ludivine was able to take the title even in a highly decorated field. This was just an electric routine. The first two tumbling runs are dynamic and unique. She hit every movement with power and intention behind it. Ludivine commands this performance and everything worked together to create a lightning-in-a-bottle moment.

7. Olga Bicherova 1981 Worlds AA

I just love this music in this routine! I'ts simple yet mysterious and soulful and yearning. Olga captures that perfectly in her interpretation. She uses fewer movements than a lot of the others on this list and they are simpler, but they mirror the quiet mystery of the music. Olga uses emptiness in her routine to great effect. The stops and starts are as important in this routine as the moving moments. I love twisting combinations of the late 70s and early 80s and this is no exception. It might only be a full at the end, but for some reason coming out of the 1.5 makes it seem so much more special. The twisting jump to the ground is also gorgeous.

6. Elena Shushunova 1988 Olympics Team Optionals

Shushunova was one of the most exciting tumblers of the 80s, and her second pass in this routine is the crowning jewel. This was the only routine to include the back handspring from the knees into the full-twisting back handspring. I love Elena, but I personally don't find her 1985 or 1987 routines very artistic, but this one is just magical. She really tells a story here and her movements, whether short and sharp or long and drawn out, all create a sense of yearning. And I love the Shushunova to end into her final pose!

5. Zoya Grancharova 1983 Worlds EF

Another Bulgarian from the 80s with unique choreography. Her routine is full of quick, frenzied movements. She uses her head quite a lot in her choreography and changes her hand position which add to the overall sense of short and static movements. She has a pretty nice triple twist, which was a pretty big deal in 1983. My favorite part of the choreography is the two back handsprings she includes.

4. Aurelia Dobre 1987 Worlds AA

This routine is the kind of routine that seems right for when a World AA title is on the line. The back-to-back pass is beautiful and exciting as ever, and I love the way she does the second punch front to the ground. The way Aurelia uses hand positions really accentuates the tension in the driving beat of the music. I love the contrast created between the driving rock section where her limbs are always straight and her softer movements in the more lyrical section.

3. Olga Strazheva 1989 Worlds Team Optionals

THE innovative and avante-garde routine. They took a risk and it paid off. Even though they terrify me even in old videos when I know the gymnast will be okay, I love her rollout layout arabian into back handspring. This is the most intriguing choreography ever performed by far. Olga seems at once hunter and hunted, condescending and humiliated. She tells a story of power and suffering, and you can tell she revels in it. If you can't tell by now, I love when a gymnast incorporates broken lines in her choreography, and Olga is the queen. My favorite part is the mirror beginning and end.

2. Sandra Izbasa 2012 Olympics TF

The coolest floor music selection ever. In a list full of routines of tension and driving music, Sandra's creates quite a contrast. Her combination tumbles are gorgeous and exciting and she is the queen of the rebounding stag jump. The music, the choreography, and her performance all elevate each other and build a routine that seems to exist in its own sphere. The tranquil music carries its own intensity and Sandra feeds off it.

1. Ksenia Afanasyeva 2012 Olympics Qual

I go back and forth on this one as my favorite, but I keep coming back to it. The double pike aside, the tumbling in this routine is AMAZING! I love both the combination runs expecially, and I love the stag jump out of the front half. And the double attitude spin is beautiful! The sharp, accented choreography of the dance passage after the first pass is very engaging, and I love how she repeats the idea of kicking up her leg. And who hasn't tried her leg choreo on their bedroom floor? It's my favorite piece of floor choreography ever, and it's removal is the reason I simply can't get behind her 2013 Euros routine. Afan's routine is gorgeous and totally to her style.

Honorable Mentions: Tamara Lazakovich, Maria Filatova, Elena Naimushina, Natalia Ilienko, Kathy Johnson, Eugenia Golea, Svetlana Boginskaya, Elena Sazonenkova, Henrietta Onodi, Laetitia Begue, Esther Moya, Yana Demyanchuk, Mikaela Gerber, Jordyn Wieber, Ruby Harrold, Claudia Fragapane

My Top 10 Favorite Beam Routines

I love creativity on beam, so all of these routines are a bit different, if only slightly. For me, arm waving isn't exciting. My favorite beam choreography includes skills or variations of skills, balances, handstands, and flexibility moves. Unique mounts are also my favorite thing in gymnastics, so a lot of these routines have them. In terms of style, I tend to prefer elegant gymnasts on beam, though there is something so satisfying about a powerful routine where nothing goes wrong. A perfect routine from Vika will simply never have the "Killed it!" quality of a perfect routine from Carly Patterson. There are some routines competing for tenth, but all in all this is the list I feel most comfortable with.

10. Ludmilla Stoyltchataja 1992 Europeans EF

This routine is absolutely beautiful. I love her great mount sequence and her dismount is fabulous. Full-twisting double pike! The choreography of this routine is really what sets it apart. She has a great 3/4 back spin. The tik-tok with the leg change is the best part of the choreography in my opinion. However, while this is a gorgeous routine, it's a little lacking in content, so it's up in tenth.

9. Shawn Johnson 2008 Olympics Qual

A tuck jump mount, I know. But this routine is just so solid! Her layout series is the first I always think of. Her switch+LOSO+back pike connection is probably my favorite of the routine. And she has a pike jump! A good pike jump is always such a find. I love her little cartwheel down on the beam. This routine is one of those super satisfying ones where nothing seems out of place.

8. Sanne Wevers 2013 Osijek World Cup

I need Sanne to win a World title on beam. Her turns are just so beautiful! Her tumbling is also different with her connection of two aerials to a front aerial and two Kochetkova skills. It's sad she didn't hit her glorious Okino here, but she still just glided through all the turns. Her turns will always be magical and this routine is smooth as butter.

7. Yang Tun 2000 Olympics TF

This is another smooth as butter routine. I love that she had the LOSO series even when they were going out. Her back dive skills are beautiful and I loved those connections from that code. The wolf 3/4 to back dive is definitely the best back dive combo from that quad. Everything in this routine is smooth and elegant. One of my favorite aspects of this routine is how much she moves up and down. She uses all angles and planes and it makes the routine so much more artistic.

6. Shannon Miller 1992 Olympics EF

I was torn between this routine and her 1994 one, but the mount sequence and extra LOSO gave this one a tiny edge. I find the twisting back handsprings that were Shannon's signature so exciting and beautiful. I love how there doesn't seem to be a second of wasted time in this routine. She is always moving and the routine feels so full but it isn't a skill-fest. And who doesn't love a back extension roll?

5. Oksana Knizhnik 1995 Worlds Team Optionals

Just ignore Ludivine Furnon's fallen vault halfway through. Oksana had glorious stag ring jumps, which are the best ring skills. She also had a beautiful triple LOSO series as well as an amazing LOSO mount. I love her handstand to Omelianchik-bent-leg split and her scale on her chest. It's the most beautiful pose on the beam. I always get nervous when she dismounts because I think she's going to miss one of her feet and then she sticks it!

4. Chellsie Memmel 2003 Worlds TF

I love the flexibility in this routine. The straddle mount with the bent leg over the side is a lovely unique touch. Who couldn't love her scale before the dismount? The way she leans forward in it just adds to it so much. There are so many exciting skills in this routine! Her acro series is one of my favorite. Illusion turns are my favorite, and Chellsie is the queen. I also love front tucks without a running entry like Chellsie does here. It's the ultimate cool and businesslike-but-not-boring routine.

3. Yang Bo 1989 China Cup

THE perfect beam routine. Artistically, this routine's got it all- flexibility, balances, handstands, the whole shebang. I really appreciate the way she incorporates balances and jumps into even her simple moving about choreography. The Yang Bo is so criminally undervalued in this code and we get a cavalcade of switch rings instead. For shame, it's such a beautiful jump. This was the only time Yang Bo was able to hit all of her connections and keep everything together. It's a tragedy of gymnastics that such an outstanding beam worker was hit with such an inconsistent streak. The BHS+LOSO+Rulfova is my favorite acro series. It really is the most perfect beam routine ever.

2. Svetlana Grozdova 1979 USSR Display

This is the ultimate of artistry on beam to me. The code needs to overhaul the artistry scoring on beam (artistry really does need to be separated from the execution score) with this as the guide. Apart from the handstand work which, obviously, is the standout of this routine, look at how high her releve is and how close to the end of the beam! She shows so much back flexibility and balance. Ah, the handstands! And the acrobatics are nice too, and exciting and dynamic for the 70s. This routine is just glorious!

1. Li Li 1993 Worlds AA

She has a big step on dismount, but I don't care, her work on the beam is so wonderful. This routine combines it all for me- unique and beautiful mount, nice acro series, gorgeous dance skills (Yang Bo AND stag ring!), creative and original elements, flexibility, handstand work, transverse acro, and perfect form, control, and line to top it off! Her back spin into split around the beam is probably my single favorite move on the beam ever, and of course her signature. This routine is so fluid; every movement seems to lead into the next. It's gorgeous, elegant, and so unique!

Honorable mentions: Phoebe Mills, Daniela Silivas, Henrietta Onodi, Olessia Dudnik, Li Chun Mi, Tatiana Gutsu, Ekaterina Vandisheva, Mo Huilan, Kui Yuan Yuan, Dina Kochetkova, Dominique Moceanu, Olga Roshupkina, Carly Patterson, Anna Pavlova, Maria Livchikova, Sui Lu

Top 10 Favorite Bars Routines

Lots of flight and exciting combinations are the most important things in a bars routine for me. As such, this is probably the only bars favorites lists you'll ever find without a single Chinese gymnast. I hate dead hangs. Also, movement between the bars is important to me, so if your routine doesn't have many transitions, it needs to have other exciting releases. Bars is the event where I care about form the least, so not everybody's going to be pristine.

10. Michelle Goodwin 1982 World Cup AA

I've already done a routine of the week (yeah I know they're not at all weekly) post on this routine. This is everything I love on close-set bars routines that went missing after giants were introduced. It's got a crazy mount, lots of movement between the bars, and tons of creativity.

9. Elise Ray 2000 US Nationals Day 2

She didn't do her eponymous dismount here, which I'm fine with because her full twister is gorgeous and I don't particularly like how she did the double. I love Rays! Her connection is breathtaking! The best part is how easy she made the Tkatchev look. I also really enjoy those long swings under the bar on the high bar for some reason. The double hop full combination is also beautiful. Ah, Elise was so underrated.

8. Olga Korbut 1972 Olympics Team Optionals

Olga was the only gymnast who ever actually performed an uneven bar routine. Both of her original skills are incredibly endearing. People definitely underrate her stoop transition to the low bar, it's super exciting too! I absolutely love her dismount; my favorite part about it is how she seems to stand at that angle for just a second before she dismounts.

7. Lisa Katharina Hill 2014 Stuttgart World Cup

Lisa's routine is so exciting! She uses a nice variety of skills, such as unique transitions and different circling elements. Nothing about her routine is cookie-cutter. Her Bhardwaj is beautiful. Also, I love that her release is a Geinger. It might not be an incredibly risky release, but so many Jagers! The toe-on full+Maloney+clear hip 1/2+clear hip full+Geinger connection is wonderful! I love how she combines her flight with pirouettes and circling elements.

6. Nellie Kim 1980 Olympics EF

Sigh, Burda twirls (why is this COP so obsessed with handstands?), sigh, straddle cuts, sigh, Fuchs-Brause transitions, sigh, butt-bounce dismounts. This routine embodies all the charm of routines on the old bars. While I'm not one of those people who wants to return to this bars set (again, I HATE giants on them and you know they'd be there) I can admire the creativity of the best of them. I also love that hecht transition to standing on the low bar.

5. Ekaterina Kurbatova 2009 Russian Cup AA

So many hip circles! Love them. The connections in this routine are brilliant. That monster first one is one of the best ever. I also love the one-armed pirouette- not common to find in a Russian routine. And it's connected to the super unique dismount! My favorite part is absolutely the Pak+Khorkina II. It just seems like it shouldn't be possible!

4. Brenna Dowell 2014 US Nationals Day 1

This one would be higher if she didn't have a cast on both side of the toe-on full. I dislike an abundance of casts. Since she's coming back for the elite season, maybe she can replace this one and move up! Anyway, so much flight in this routine! Straddle back skills always seem so exciting to me, and I want to see more of them. And out of a Tweddle too! I also love how she connects the giant full out of the Maloney. Connections out of Shaposh variations always stand out to me. Her pencil-straight DLO is a perfect cap to the routine.

3. Anna Li 2012 US Nationals Day 2

Anna is another gymnast who is amazing in her connections of flight elements and pirouetting elements. It's criminal that the Rybalko was required to finish in handstand and she was deducted for it. Again, WHY IS THE COP SO HANDSTAND OBSESSED? Ugh. The Shushunova is so special! I don't get how it was downgraded from a G to an E (why two?), but it's sad because it removes the incentive. Anna gets so much flight! Her work is breathtaking!

2. Beth Tweddle 2011 Worlds TF

This was Beth's best routine ever, in my opinion. She was so crisp! The Tweddle+Ezhova+Van Leeuwen connection will always be associated with Beth. However, I think I prefer the Markelov (love them) to Geinger. There's no wasted time in this routine and she performs everything perfectly.

1. Ruby Harrold 2014 Commonwealth Games AA

And two Brits top the list! A Maloney+Bhardwaj and a Van Leeuwen+Zuchold in the same routine? I said that I love movement between the bars, and this routine is perfect at that! The Zuchold is absolutely my favorite high-low transition. I love how it comes so unexpectedly! It's such an exciting routine!

Honorable Mentions: Karin Janz, Maria Filatova, Elena Mukhina, Kim Gwang Suk, Tatiana Malaya, Mo Huilan, Dominique Dawes, Svetlana Khorkina, Aliya Mustafina, Jessica Lopez, Roxana Popa, Rebecca Tunney

Top 10 Favorite Vaults

Obviously, I love stuck vaults. So there are gonna be a bunch of those. A vault rarely seen will always seem more exciting. Perfectly executed simple vaults are magical and I much prefer them to chucked high-difficulty vaults or even well-executed difficult vaults. I don't, what all is there really to say about one's taste in vaults? I feel like most of us are on the same page.

10. Dipa Karmakar 2014 Commonwealth Games EF vault 2

I know, I go on about how I prefer perfect simple vault to chucked difficult ones, and then this is the first vault on my list. And Produnova's own isn't anywhere to be found. But I watched this one live. I held my hand over my face and watched through my fingers as I waited for the impending crash. And I cried out in shock when she landed it. This vault is here because I experienced it in a way I have never experienced any other piece of gymnastics, and so it will always have a special place in my heart.

9. Shannon Miller 1992 Olympics AA

Such a perfect vault. Robbed of a 10. But ultimately, even the most perfect FTY will never have the glory of other perfect vaults.

8. Li Yiting 2011 Chinese Nationals EF vault 1

I love DTTs! It's one of my favorite vaults as a skill. Li Yiting has very nice form and a controlled landing.

7. Svetlana Khorkina 1995 Worlds AA

Khorkina's vault is my favorite as a skill. I think it looks so intricate. This was her best landing, and she also has great form and good dynamics.

6. ASac 2011 Covergirl Classic

The queen of Rudis! Her pencil-straight body line is gorgeous. She usually had a fairly big bounce, but this one had a great controlled landing. The height she gets is amazing! It's beautiful from start to finish.

5. Ellie Black Commonwealth Games EF vault 2

Tsuks are probably my favorite vault family, which is probably why there are two on here even though they are the least common. I'm not blind to the errors, but the landing especially just gives it the look of floating.

4. Ariella Kaeslin 2008 Europeans vault 1 (#13 in the video)

The video of the vaults themselves uploaded weirdly, so here's this one with it normal. Front tuck fulls are another vault I really like. Her legs are pasted together and the landing is so satisfying. She has a great upright position and she just plants it so there is no question of whether it was a stick.

3. Daria Elizarova 2010 Asian Games AA

The best front pike ever. She floats is and the landing is so soft! Just absolutely gorgeous. Her legs are even perfectly together on landing, which is rare. Robbed in her score- she only got a 13.8.

2. Lilia Podkopayeva 1994 Soapberry Shop

Yurchenko 1/2s are absolutely my favorite Yurchenko-style vaults. The half twist is just enough pizzazz, and they're so rare they seem special. Lilia's is floated and simply breathtaking!

1. Yang Yun 2000 Olympics TF

Everyone's favorite. It really is just how gymnastics is meant to be performed. Nothing to say really. Everyone loves it and everyone knows why.

Honorable Mentions: Karin Janz, Elena Davydova, Dominique Dawes, Denisse Lopez, MLR, Elena Produnova, Meng Fei, McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Weiber, Bailie Key