Twin City Twisters Level 10 and future Nebraska gymnast Jessie DeZiel stuck her Yurchenko 1 1/2 vault at the Northern Lights Classic this weekend during the team competition. Awesome!

AWESOME!

(Source: auntjoycesicecreamstand.blogspot.com, via myinnermonoblog)

WOW, this is a beautiful vault! It’s Alabama’s Kayla Hoffman, from the Metroplex Challenge last weekend. Seriously!!! Look at that block, the extension, clean, precise twisting, and a stick! AWESOME! 9.925 well earned!

I’m on a bit of a vault kick, I admit it. But at least I’m picking the ones with cool landings to show you! Here is the incredible Marian Dragulescu of Romania vaulting at the 2004 Olympics. The first vault is the one he innovated, a handspring double front half out, which he sticks! The second one is a very powerful Tsuk(?) 2 1/2 which he messes up the landing on, sadly. But it is incredible how Marian has managed to stay at the top in excellent condition for so long! Here’s hoping he’s at London 2012!

Canadian Kyle Shewfelt’s Yurchenko 2 and a half from the 2008 Olympics was nearly perfect, just like the video I recently put up of Uchimura. Looks quite effortless and great form in the air too! An excellent stick from one of my favorite male gymnasts!

Kohei Uchimura, the dominant force in men’s gymnastics right now, is known for his extreme difficulty and effortless execution. A wonderful example of this combination of elegance and skill is his vault from the 2010 Japan Cup. Out of a possible 16.60, Kohei scored a 16.20, which gives him an incredible 9.60 execution score, something we don’t see too often! I would have given it a 16.40 or even a 16.50, it’s just an incredible vault. I don’t even know where the judges found 4 tenths in deductions. Do you?

Part 2 of Who I’d Put On The Worlds Team: Alicia Sacramone!

Alicia has long been one of the United States’ best vaulters, but she’s also a very strong beam and floor worker, much like her Brestyan’s teammate Aly Raisman. Alicia isn’t doing floor this season, but is worth putting on the team for her beam and vault scores, as well as the leadership quality she has. The other girls look up to her as an Olympian and a tenured and talented gymnast, and I hope to see her on the team going to Rotterdam!