The Vault
The Vault is a gymnastic event and part of the artistic gymnastic events. This a series of different events performed on various bits of apparatus and on the floor. Men and women both take part in vaulting.
It is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) but most countries also have their own regulators such as BAGA in the UK. It is a popular spectator sport with lots of different competitions and at the summer Olympics where it is usually the first event to sell out of tickets.
The gymnasts vault over a piece of apparatus called ‘the table’. Originally it was known as the ‘horse’ and looked a bit like a pommel horse without handles. This piece of equipment was used in the Olympics for over one hundred years starting at the first modern games in 1896 when Carl Schuhman of Germany (right) won the Gold medal and ending at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when Gervasio Deferr of Spain won gold.For men it is set up the long way along the track and for women the short way. The horse has been blamed for a number of bad accidents. In 1988 Julissa Gomez of the US
The table has a large, flat, cushioned surface and it slopes downward at the end nearest the springboard. This is a platform with springs that the gymnast jumps from onto the table. The table must have a cushioned surface that isn’t slippery or rough and the top of the table must be able to absorb shock so that wrists and shoulders are protected.
The table was first used at the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Belgium and although it seems to be safer than the horse in 2007 a junior Dutch gymnast, Imke Glas, was seriously injured after he fell.
How to do the Vault
The gymnast has to run down the runway and spring from the springboard onto the table. They may then just leap over the table or perform a variety of different twists and turns landing on the mat on the other side of the table. There a five moves or ‘phases’:
- The Run – the gymnast can choose how far to run as long as it is not more than the length of the runway. They run faster and faster until they are about 2m from the springboard when they do a low jump onto it.
- The Pre-flight – this is the time between hitting the springboard and the table. Their legs should be together and straight and pointed toes and arms should be stretched out by their ears.
- Contact with the table – They touch the table and then push off with their hands to propel themselves into the air. They have to keep very tight to create as much power as possible.
- The Post-Flight – this is the best bit of the exercise and they can perform different moves. The height and distance achieved are both judged as well as how they look.
- The Landing – They land on the mat behind the table. They should land between lines marked on the mat and standing up straight without moving their fee
t.
There are different styles of vaulting and these are determined by the action performed and also if they are a man or woman.
Men | Women |
Direct Vaults | Handspring, Yamashita, round-off with or without longitudinal-axis (LA) turn in 1st and/or 2nd phase |
Vaults with 1/1 turn in the first flight | Handspring forward with/without 360° turn in 1st flight phase, somersault forward with/without LA turn in 2nd flight phase |
Handspring and Yamashita style vaults | Tsukahara style vaults ( half turn off the springboard onto the vault table, then a push backwards, usually into a back somersault) |
Tsukahara | Yurchenko style vaults (round-off onto the springboard and a back handspring onto the horse or vaulting table. Then a somersault which may range in difficulty from a simple single tuck to a triple twist layout.). You have to use a safety collar. If you don’t the vault is invalid |
Yurchenko | Round-off with ½ LA turn in 1st flight phase, somersault forward with or without LA turn in 2nd flight phase |
Gymnasts in competitions will usually try to do the most complicated vault so that they can get more marks.
Here are some videos of different vaults
Scoring and Rules
In competitions, men and women will do one vault in qualification, team final and all-round final. In the apparatus final they have to do two vaults and for men these must be from different groups and women have to do two but with two different post-flights. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is VT. Gymnasts used to try to get a perfect 10 score but in 2005 the scoring was revised by the International Gymnastics Federation.and now they have two types of score:· The difficulty score (D) which starts at zero and increases with more difficult moves
· The execution score (E) which starts at 10 and goes down as they make errors.
This means that they can get much higher scores and today scores can be as high as 16 -17.
· Land cleanly with no hops or steps and within the landing zone. This is called a ‘Stuck Landing’
· Look as if they are in complete control
· Have pointed toes, straight arms and legs
· Look as if every move is planned
· Travel a good distance from the table
· Have a routine that is different from other gymnasts.
· Fall or step off the mat
· Don’t have enough height or distance off the table
· Don’t show the vault number on the electronic screen
The gymnast gets zero if:
· They don’t touch the table
· Receive assistance from their coach
· They don’t land on their feet first.
· They touch the springboard but don’t do the vault (however, women can have a second try if they haven’t touched the springboard first time but they only have 30 seconds to get back to the end of the runway)
Kit
Men wear a singlet or vest and a pair of shorts and will have a track suit for warming up and afterwards. Women will wear a leotard and a track suit. In major competitions their clothing will have their county or logo on them.
They can wear ‘grips’ which are leather straps to protect the hands and wrists and they wear a thin shoe a bit like a ballet shoe. They may also use chalk to give them more grip.
The Best Female Vaulters in the World
The Best Male Vaulters in the World
· Gervasio Deferr (Spain): 2000 & 2004 Olympic Champion
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