One of six events composing the men’s artistic gymnastics competition, the parallel bars tests an athlete’s hand-eye coordination, balance and timing.
The routine
Gymnasts perform about 20 skills (moves) above and below the bars demonstrating their strength, balance and maneuverability throughout a 90-second routine.
Skill value (ranked by level of difficulty) A (easiest) through E (Super E is the most difficult). Skills gain value by becoming combinations of simpler skills. For instance, an E move may be a combination of a D and a C. Routines must incorporate a certain number of A, B and C skills.
The `Gatson’
The most difficult skill in any parallel bars routine is a Super E move. There are only a few such moves recognized in the world. One was developed by and named after current U.S. gymnastics team member Jason Gatson:
1. The legs swing backward through the bars in a semicircle
2. The right hand releases and the body begins to rotate counterclockwise.
3. The left hand pushes off the bar, launching into a mid-air twist.
4. Landing the twist The body lands back on the left hand. (pictured at right)
– Sensing the precise location of the bar at the end of the twist makes landing extremely difficult.
– Weight entirely on the left hand.
5. The legs swing forward through the bars.
6. The body finishes in handstand position.
Scoring
The final score is based on the gymnast’s selection of skills and his performance.
– The A jury (2 judges)
Observes the types of skills selected and the difficulty of a routine.
Tries to get a sense of each gymnast’s skill level before a competition by watching practice.
Based on their observations, each judge awards the gymnast a starting score. The base starting score for men is 8.6 (out of 10), but a judge can add points if the gymnast plans to include an exceptionally difficult skill or combination of skills. Example: 9.1
– The B jury (2-6 judges)
Looks for any flaws in the performance, such as missteps, wavering and incomplete or missed moves.
Based on their observations, each judge deducts points from the A jury score to give the gymnast a complete score.
Example, 1.2 points off the 9.1 score for a poor landing results in a complete score of 7.9.
The highest and lowest scores are thrown out, and the rest are averaged for the final score.
Athletes to watch
– Xiaopeng Li
China
Won gold at 2000 Olympics and gold at 2003 world championships
– Mitja Petkovsek
Slovenia
Ranked 2nd in the world; three-time European championships medalist
– Jason Gatson
United States
Youngest athlete to make a U.S. men’s world championship team at 17 in 1997
2000 results
Parallel bars
G: Xiaopeng Li, China
S: Joo Hyung Lee, South Korea
B: Alexei Nemov, Russia
All-time medal standings
– Competition began in 1896
Japan: 14
USSR/Russia: 13
Switzerland: 9
U.S.: 6
Sources: USA National Gymnastics Team, International Gymnastics Federation, Athens 2004 Olympic Organizing Committee, news reports, Don Johnson photography.
