UGH this is gorgeous. Pauline is just such a beautiful beam worker. I love her skills such as the double spin and the Schaefer, but I'm also a huge fan of her choreography. It actually adds something, which the gymnastics world in general seems to be doing better at this year. Ellie Black, Qualifications
She's a powerhouse on beam. I said in my favorite beam post that while I prefer elegant beam work in general, there's just a "killed it" quality about well hit powerful beam work that, say, Vika will never be able to manage, and I love it! I'm also a big fan of the "gallop" choreography-- it's weird and I love it! Just in general, she surprisingly artistic. And she stamps out her skills! Asuka Teramoto, Qualifications
Asuka is such a pleasant beam worker. I was disappointed she messed up and couldn't get vindication in the final, but it was lovely here!
Floor Claudia Fragapane, Qualifications
It's too bad she couldn't hit this well in the final, even though she was still able to medal. I've always been a Claudia fan, but she really is a whole new performer this year! And she's cleaned up so much! I will always love how she does tumbling+dance combos that should by all rights be hideous and makes them look fab. And say what you like about the rest of her execution, I will always appreciate the non-cowboyed double Arabian!
Ellie Black, All Around
This was such a passionate and powerful performance! Ellie is also just one of my favorite floor workers. I love her unique combination tumbling and how much of it is forward! Her first pass is my favorite. I also love her dance. It's always forceful and different and kind of... angsty? This performance especially, she put everything she had into it. Morgan Hurd, All Around
Another all-heart performance. You could definitely see her excitement in those landings, but she was exuding so much joy here! I also love her upright landings. Everything about this routine (well, minus the landings) is exquisite!
Nina Derwael, All Around
I LOVE BELGIUM ON FLOOR! They just always have such weird choreography. And Nina didn't disappoint! I especially love the part in the straddle. Her landings here were also much more secure than in qualifications. Jade Carey, Event Final
Yes, the artistry isn't... good. But her tumbling! I could watch those passes on loop! They're GORGEOUS! Mai Murakami, Event Final
I'm so glad she made a change to this routine from the Christina Aguilara screaming! The tumbling here was impeccable! The performance was everything it could be. She makes this routine. What a deserving routine for the championship! Brooklyn Moors, Event Final
This routine is just lovely. She also includes the Semenova, such a beautiful turn! It's a gorgeous routine, and that tumbling isn't shabby either. I mean, look at the Podkopayeva! This one especially, to me, she really seemed to put everything into the performance.
I was planning on doing this post in the week or so after my Worlds post, and... well, you see how well that plan worked out. Vault Giulia Steingruber, Qualifications
She is just such a dynamic vaulter. I love the way she flies! It's also astounding that she made it to this point in her gymnastics so quickly in her return. Plus, a non-Yurchenko entry is always a bonus.
Jade Carey, Qualifications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0CJ-koOQJs
Well, the video isn't available for embedding, so I'll just have to link it. Still a wild landing, but my oh my, that vault is gorgeous. It's just so easy for her!
Oksana Chusovitina, Event Final
What a gorgeous vault from the queen. She has cleaned up so much and it's just mind-boggling! I was definitely one of those people calling for the judges to overscore her into the gold! Ah, we can't have everything in life.
Ellie Black, Qualifications
She's not the cleanest vaulter, but I just love Ellie's work here. She just seems to fly. It's wonderful.
Bars Diana Varinska
I love everything about this routine!! It is breathtaking and exciting and jam-packed! Just a fabulous set.
Anastasiia Iliankova, Qualifications
Look at the Hindorff+Pak+Maloney+clear hip 1/2+Ezhova combination! It's all that I love and all that I need. And she wasn't super close on the Shang here!
Elena Eremina
She just flies through this routine. Absolutely lovely. And the big combination work in the Nabieve+Pak+Chow 1/2! I just love gusty combinations like this.
Nina Derwael, All Around
There's so much flight in this routine! And so much intricacy! She just soars through this whole mind-blowing exercise. Georgia-Mae Fenton Qualifications
Can you tell what style of bars routines I love? Once again, such breathtaking flight! And I love the different kinds of skills she has in combination!
Remember when they didn't choreograph facial expressions into Laurie's routines and just let it come naturally? Remember when this was the routine everyone was talking about? Ah, good times.
Louise McColgan 2013 National Championships
This has to be some of the most creative choreography I've seen. It was wonderfully fun and playful for a little espoir gymnast, but it was still mature and unique. I could watch this routine every day and not grow tired of it.
Giulia Steingruber 2014 Europeans EF
Giulia's leaps are just works of art. She flies on them unlike anyone else. I just love the intensity of this routine.
Catherine Lyons 2014 Europeans EF
The modern dance masterpiece. She had any number of strong performances of this routine, but the way she got up from the floor before her third tumbling pass in this one really made this one stand out to me. This routine just flows so effortlessly, it doesn't have that separation of skills and performance you so often see.
Yesenia Ferrera 2014 Pan Am Championships EF
The tumbling in this routine was fab. It's a shame she disappeared the way she did, she was a brilliant gymnast. The choreography in this routine isn't super complex, but it was super enjoyable all the same.
Ruby Harrold 2014 Worlds Qualifications
I love the avant garde style of this routine. Ruby just works so well with the percussive music. I also really like the selection of tumbling- it has all the different styles of skills I like to see. It's just such a unique routine performed so well.
Celine van Gerner 2015 WOGA Classic
My favorite Dutch routine of the quad. It's just such a powerful music and presentation. I love the bit after her double L spin, it's just so well done. The tension in this routine is just fabulous.
Ellie Black 2015 Pan Ams EF
When it comes to gymnastics, one of the things I am most thankful for is Ellie Black's wonderfully unique and original tumbling. I'm also a sucker for combination tumbling passes, and so all of Ellie's tumbling passes being combinations is just like Christmas for me. Her choreography is also just so well done and beautiful.
Kyla Ross 2015 Jesolo PT
Yes, it's a cop out to use a podium training routine. But in this case, can you really blame me? It's just so beautiful, and after her crazy issue in competition, she never did it like this again...
Lisa Verschueren 2015 European Games EF
This routine is everything I never knew I needed. It's just so off-the-wall. I love Belgium on floor, their MO seems to be "let's win the prize for kookiness" and I can't get enough.
Giulia Steingruber 2015 Europeans EF
As always with Giulia, the tumbling and leaps are beautiful. This is just such a great modern routine, and her performance is so effortless. It's just so watchable.
Claudia Fragapane 2015 Europeans EF
I like out-of-the-box routines, in case you can't tell. Her choreography is just so different and cool. Her tumbling isn't pristine, but you can't deny it's exciting. Her DLO to wolf should by rights be hideous, but somehow I end up loving that connection. And that back spin to finish!
Bailie Key 2015 Secret Classic
This did not seem to be a terribly popular choreography, but this is my favorite floor routine of the quad. I like the swimming part! I don't know, maybe it's just Bailie's lack of expression, but she seems almost to be mocking the audience, and maybe I'm just weird, but I love when routines do that. And the tumbling's not shabby either. It was just such a different direction to go with Bailie, and I love it!
Marine Brevet, 2015 Worlds Qualification
First of all, "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" is one of my favorite floor music selections. Add to that a lovely DLO, great passionate choreography, and that ending pose, and bam, this routine is amazing.
Remember when Grishy was looking like a star of the quad? Those were the days. The jaw-dropping moment of this is the lovely Onodi+illusion. This is just a gorgeous and lovely steady routine.
Norah Flatley 2014 Pac Rims EF
Norah Flatley on beam is just an otherworldly experience. She just looks so unhurried. She had two beautiful acro series, and her arabesque is such a beautiful touch.
Eythora Thorsdottir Hamburg 2014
A very weak dismount because she was coming back from injury, but this was a lovely elegant routine with so many unique combinations. Eythora just shows so much of the originality missing from beam recently in this routine. I just eat up her dance+acro combinations.
Kyla Ross 2015 P&Gs Day 2
Kyla Ross angry beam is basically all you need in life.
Pauline Schaefer 2015 DM EF
Pauline is such a gorgeous beam worker, and I love her original choreography. She has her lovely original mount and incredible original acro skill in this routine. I also love her dismount- it's been abused this quad, but when performed like this, it's magical. There's nothing out of place in this routine, and I just love it.
Maile O'Keefe 2016 P&Gs Day 1
Beam extraordinaire Maile O'Keefe. She's got the legendary Dudnik acro series and a layout series just to top things off. Her work is just so off-the-charts and steady. She will hopefully be a great addition to the arsenal in 2018.
Flavia Saraiva 2016 Anadia EF
Flavia is just so delightful. Beam is my favorite event of hers, especially when she hits like this. This routine is full to bursting- she's got her double LOSO series, her roundoff+layout, and the beautiful forward series. And add to that her charming choreography from her lovely 2014-2015 floor, and it's just a completely wonderful routine.
Ragan Smith 2016 Secret Classic
The errors in the dismount were sad, but it was super exciting to see after waiting with baited breath so long. But otherwise, it was about as perfect as she can get. I love her standing full and amazing stretched layout.
Sanne Wevers 2016 Nationals
The most uniquely difficult and smooth as butter routine in existence. I could watch Sanne work beam forever.
Gotta love the Seitz and the Mustafina dismount. That's one of those things you've just gotta love about Aliya, how she'll just pull out a randomly different routine every now and then to keep you on your toes. And as always, the classic Aliya swing.
Roxana Popa, 2014 Blume Memorial
Oh, how I miss pre-hey-your-ACL-is-torn-by-the-way Roxana. Her bars work especially was super exciting, and all the connections in this routine just make it so dynamic. There's just so much flight and movement between the bars in this routine! And the inbar Geinger in its pure form.
Rebecca Tunney, 2014 Europeans EF
Long live the Church+Bhardwaj! There's just so much flight and not a second of wasted time in her routine.
Lisa Katharina Hill, 2014 Stuttgart World Cup
Another routine with a Bhardwaj- unique transition work is a pretty sure-fire way to get on this list! I also love her long combination into the Gienger combining pirouettes, transitions, and different kinds of circling elements. There's just so much variety in this routine!
Brenna Dowell, 2014 P&Gs, Day 1
There is just so much in this routine! I'm a fan of everything but the kitchen sink bars routines, and I love how much variety and excitement she is able to pack in. All of the combinations are just amazing, and the Tweddle+Ezhova especially!
Amelia Hundley, 2015 Pan Ams EF
I just really love the way Meals works bars. I find there to be something Aliya-esque in her swing. She never seems to be fighting with the apparatus, and it almost seems as if time has slowed slightly while she performs.
Shang Chunsgong, 2015 Worlds TF
You've just gotta love a good ol' release fest. And it's especially nice with Shang's gorgeous eponymous skill. I also like that she's got some good ol' pretty Chinese one-armed pirouettes going. I was never a pirouette fest fan, but I do wish they hadn't disappeared so much. Shang's issue on bars is her swing can sometimes be a bit labored, but that wasn't a problem here.
Fan Yilin, 2015 Worlds EF
Such a difficult routine and so well done. Lots of movement between the bars, pirouettes, and a great inbar Gienger! Definitely my favorite of the reigning world champions.
Becky Downie, 2016 Europeans EF
So many fabulous releases and combinations! And with Becky's beautiful presentation to top it off. This is a monster of a routine. The Chow+Shang is so breathtaking, but then, so is everything else in this routine.
Jessica Lopez, 2016 Sao Paulo World Cup EF
So many inbar Giengers this quad! One thing I love about JLo's bars is how she works and turns through inverted grip. And her lovely open Jaeger! I also love her double front, there's just something so compact about it.
Ruby Harrold, 2015 Worlds EF
And my favorite UB routine to end! Both a Maloney+Bhardwaj and a Van Leeuwen+Zuchold. The Zuchold is just the ultimate of cool transitions (which, in case you can't tell by now, I'm a sucker for). Not pristine, but just plain cool.
Dipa Karmakar, 2014 Commonwealth Games, Event Final Vault 2
Yes, this vault is rather terrifying, and possesses none of the qualities of a vault you would usually find in a list like this of mine. But like I said in my favorite vaults post, I was more in the moment when watching this vault than in pretty much any other piece of gymnastics in history, so it will always be in my heart.
Ellie Black, 2014 Commonwealth Games, Event Final Vault 2
She just appears to be floating in this vault, especially in the landing.
Bailie Key, 2014 Pac Rims, Team/AA Final
Just beautiful form throughout, and such a light, upright, stuck landing. Too bad she had to get injured, 2014 Bailie was just such a wonderful gymnast.
Hong Un Jong, 2014 Worlds, Event Final Vault 1
When she competed through 2013, her vaults were so helicopter-ish, but since 2014 she has just been the floatiest of floaty vaulters (okay, maybe not the most ultimately floaty vaulter, but very floaty nonetheless). Her Amanar went from a storm center to effortless.
Simone Biles, 2015 P&Gs Day 1, Vault 1
Why this scored lower than day 2, we'll never know. But regardless, about as perfect as any gymnastics has ever been.
Rebeca Andrade, 2016 Olympics
Just look at that wonderful Amanar.
Giulia Steingruber, 2016 European Championships, Qualifications Vault 1
Such an utterly effortless Rudi. She just flies on this vault.
Zsofia Kovacs, 2016 European Championships, Qualifications Vault 1
Also known as the DTY so leisurely I couldn't tell she twisted twice.
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
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
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
