Vaulting Horse Is a Winner

Gymnastics officials had safety in mind when they redesigned the vaulting horse to make it wider and give athletes a feeling of security, especially when they’re doing difficult maneuvers. In its first use at a U.S. competition, the new vaulting table--nicknamed “The Tongue” for its curved shape--won universal raves Saturday at the annual GymJam event and inspired thoughts of unlimited possibilities.

“This is going to open up a lot of doors for a lot of skills in the vault,” said Guard Young, who finished second to Sydney Olympian Stephen McCain in the senior elite all-around competition at the meet, the men’s national qualifying event for the U.S. championships.

“It’s going to be like floor exercise. You’re going to see tumbling tricks before and after each vault. A lot of guys were doing vaults they had never done before. I’m glad USA Gymnastics took the initiative to use it.”

The model used Saturday at UC Santa Barbara’s Robertson Gym had not been fully tested nor approved by the international gymnastics federation (FIG), but its dimensions were identical to those of approved models. The table organizers planned to use didn’t arrive in time, but USA Gymnastics approved the use of the table competitors had practiced on all week, and they were delighted to have a chance to get accustomed to it in a competitive format.

“I love it. I think it’s great,” said McCain, whose 9.35 (out of 10) on the vault was second to Brent McClure’s 9.40. “It gives you a little more room to do things. I’m doing the same vault I did last year, but I’m trying to add an extra twist. Everybody’s doing some new things.”

Said McClure, who finished fourth: “I like it a lot. It’s one of the events I hit today. And I think it’s a lot safer. If somebody runs straight into the front of it, at least it’s curved, so they won’t get hurt.”

McCain’s winning score was 53.800, well ahead of Young’s 50.750 and the 50.500 amassed by promising teenager Todd Thornton, who is in his second year at the senior elite level.

Sean Townsend, another Sydney Olympian, had a mild back strain and didn’t compete in the floor exercise or high bar; he also missed his vault and got a score of 0. Injuries before the meet led to the withdrawal of Olympians Paul and Morgan Hamm (broken tibia and injured rotator cuff, respectively) and Blaine Wilson (shoulder).

Avoiding injury was paramount for McCain, a UCLA alumnus and member of three U.S. teams at the World Championships. As an Olympian, he had a bye to the national championships--to be held in August in Philadelphia--and he didn’t have to compete Saturday. However, he wanted to get additional experience with the sport’s new code, which dictates the number and degree of difficult moves each athlete must perform.