In Top Form: The Best Execution on Bars
In Top Form: The Best Execution on Bars
Last week, we took a look at the US gymnasts who have the best execution scores on vault and summarized our top five. Today, we're looking at the top execut
Last week, we took a look at the US gymnasts who have the best execution scores on vault and summarized our top five. Today, we're looking at the top execution scores on bars.
Bars has been a notoriously tricky event for the US to score big on, and they have fought hard over the years to keep up with their rivals, Russia and China, in both difficulty and execution on the apparatus. It could be argued bars is one of the more difficult events to score highly on execution. One mistake can throw the entire routine off. In addition to keep her toes pointed and her legs together, a gymnast needs to ensure she hits all her handstands, exhibits high amplitude in her release moves, and keeps a solid rhythm.
As we did with vault, we have taken a look at US national team members over the past year (including those who were juniors last year but are now seniors), and ranked our top five. Check out our ranking below.
Although bars is often talked about as being Simone Biles' worst event, she still has some of the best execution in the country. Biles' routine is constructed to play to her strengths, and she's usually very good at hitting handstands and keeping her toes pointed to minimize deductions. It doesn't hurt that she almost always sticks her dismount as well. Biles' highest execution score over the past year was achieved recently at the Pacific Rim Championships, when she scored an 8.95 - a number she also achieved at Nationals in 2015. Biles has been extremely consistent in her execution all year, and she's never gone below an 8.8. Check out her routine below from Pacific Rim Championships:
Gabby Douglas is known for her beautiful work on bars. She has very high difficulty in her routine, but she also performs with excellent execution. Douglas' high execution score came last year at Classics, when she scored a 9.0 in her comeback routine. She is also capable of scoring high on the international stage - she notched an 8.9 at Jesolo in March. Part of what makes Douglas so good at bars - besides her high level of difficulty - is the fluidity of her routine. She moves easily from skill to skill and floats between bars. Check out her routine below from Jesolo:
Madison Kocian currently has the highest D-score on bars on the US team. In addition to her difficulty level, she has also scored some of the highest execution scores - it's no wonder she is a World Champion on the event. Last year, Kocian scored higher at domestic meets, with her highest being a 9.1 in execution at Classics. She put up an impressive performance at Worlds in Glasgow to win the gold medal at event finals, scoring an 8.766 for her E-score. Kocian is especially good at keeping her legs together and toes pointed during bar transitions. Check out her routine below from Worlds:
It has been a while since she last competed, but when she did, bars was perhaps Bailie Key's best event. Her highest execution score is a 9.1, which she scored at both Classics and Nationals last year. Key is especially good at keeping her toes pointed throughout the entire routine, even during release moves, when many other gymnasts end up flexing their feet. Check out Key's routine below from Nationals last year.
Ashton Locklear is our leader in the execution department. Bars is her specialty, and her routine is packed with difficulty - she changes bars so many times it's hard to keep up. On top of her difficulty level, Locklear has consistently scored the highest in E-scores over the past year. Unsurprisingly, her high came at a domestic meet at Nationals in 2015, when she scored a 9.25. International judges have rewarded her well also. This year, she scored a 9.15 at Jesolo and a 9.125 at the Pacific Rim Championships. Check out her beautiful routine below from Jesolo in March.
Related:
In Top Form: The Best Execution on Vault
Understanding the E-score in Elite Gymnastics: Uneven Bars
The Best on Bars: Top U.S. D-scores
The Best on the Floor: The Top D-Scores
The U.S. Beamers: The Top D-Scores
Bars has been a notoriously tricky event for the US to score big on, and they have fought hard over the years to keep up with their rivals, Russia and China, in both difficulty and execution on the apparatus. It could be argued bars is one of the more difficult events to score highly on execution. One mistake can throw the entire routine off. In addition to keep her toes pointed and her legs together, a gymnast needs to ensure she hits all her handstands, exhibits high amplitude in her release moves, and keeps a solid rhythm.
As we did with vault, we have taken a look at US national team members over the past year (including those who were juniors last year but are now seniors), and ranked our top five. Check out our ranking below.
5. Simone Biles
Although bars is often talked about as being Simone Biles' worst event, she still has some of the best execution in the country. Biles' routine is constructed to play to her strengths, and she's usually very good at hitting handstands and keeping her toes pointed to minimize deductions. It doesn't hurt that she almost always sticks her dismount as well. Biles' highest execution score over the past year was achieved recently at the Pacific Rim Championships, when she scored an 8.95 - a number she also achieved at Nationals in 2015. Biles has been extremely consistent in her execution all year, and she's never gone below an 8.8. Check out her routine below from Pacific Rim Championships:
4. Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas is known for her beautiful work on bars. She has very high difficulty in her routine, but she also performs with excellent execution. Douglas' high execution score came last year at Classics, when she scored a 9.0 in her comeback routine. She is also capable of scoring high on the international stage - she notched an 8.9 at Jesolo in March. Part of what makes Douglas so good at bars - besides her high level of difficulty - is the fluidity of her routine. She moves easily from skill to skill and floats between bars. Check out her routine below from Jesolo:
3. Madison Kocian
Madison Kocian currently has the highest D-score on bars on the US team. In addition to her difficulty level, she has also scored some of the highest execution scores - it's no wonder she is a World Champion on the event. Last year, Kocian scored higher at domestic meets, with her highest being a 9.1 in execution at Classics. She put up an impressive performance at Worlds in Glasgow to win the gold medal at event finals, scoring an 8.766 for her E-score. Kocian is especially good at keeping her legs together and toes pointed during bar transitions. Check out her routine below from Worlds:
2. Bailie Key
It has been a while since she last competed, but when she did, bars was perhaps Bailie Key's best event. Her highest execution score is a 9.1, which she scored at both Classics and Nationals last year. Key is especially good at keeping her toes pointed throughout the entire routine, even during release moves, when many other gymnasts end up flexing their feet. Check out Key's routine below from Nationals last year.
1. Ashton Locklear
Ashton Locklear is our leader in the execution department. Bars is her specialty, and her routine is packed with difficulty - she changes bars so many times it's hard to keep up. On top of her difficulty level, Locklear has consistently scored the highest in E-scores over the past year. Unsurprisingly, her high came at a domestic meet at Nationals in 2015, when she scored a 9.25. International judges have rewarded her well also. This year, she scored a 9.15 at Jesolo and a 9.125 at the Pacific Rim Championships. Check out her beautiful routine below from Jesolo in March.
Related:
In Top Form: The Best Execution on Vault
Understanding the E-score in Elite Gymnastics: Uneven Bars
The Best on Bars: Top U.S. D-scores
The Best on the Floor: The Top D-Scores
The U.S. Beamers: The Top D-Scores