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
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