Cover image: Yang Bo doing her eponymous skill on the balance beam. From Tsukahara Tucked article “Cerca de la Perfección: Yang Bo“.
The title is self-explanatory. This post is a list of my top ten favorite routines on each event, along with seven honorable mentions per event because there’s no way I can only choose ten routines out of all the fantastic ones out there.
I have two brief things to mention before we begin:
1. Please note that this is only my opinion. If you, say, hated Chinese bars and preferred tumbling over artistry, your lists would be very different from mine. Neither one of our lists would be better than the other, they would simply reflect different opinions and preferences.
2. Unlike my Gym Stats pages, this list will not be edited after being posted. If my opinion changes drastically, I’ll make a new, updated version. For future reference, this version was posted just after Voronin Cup in 2017, so no routines from 2018 or later are included.
Now let’s begin!
10. Jade Barbosa (BRA), 2007 Worlds TF
9. Simona Amanar (ROU), 1996 Olympics AA
8. Kyla Ross (USA), 2013 P&Gs Day 1
7. Simone Biles (USA), 2015 P&Gs Day 1
6. Cheng Fei (CHN), 2005 Worlds EF
5. Karin Janz (GDR), 1972 Olympics EF
4. Mo Huilan (CHN), 1996 Olympics TF
3. Yang Yun (CHN), 2000 Olympics TF
2. McKayla Maroney (USA), 2012 Olympics TF
1. Elena Produnova (RUS), 1999 Universiade AA
Honorable Mentions:
– Rebeca Andrade (BRA), 2017 Varna WC EF [x]
– Olga Korbut (URS), 1972 Olympics EF [x]
– Tatiana Lysenko (URS), 1992 Olympics TC [x]
– Meng Fei (CHN), 1996 Worlds TF [x]
– Shannon Miller (USA), 1992 Olympics AA [x]
– Bailie Key (CHN), 2014 Pac Rims AA [x]
– Monica Rosu (ROU), 2004 Olympics EF [x]
10. Huang Qiushuang (CHN), 2010 Worlds QF
9. Ma Yanhong (CHN), 1984 Olympics EF
8. He Kexin (CHN), 2008 Olympics EF
7. Zhou Duan (CHN), 1997 East Asian Games TF
6. Elena Mukhina (URS), 1979 Spartakiade AA
5. Yang Yilin (CHN), 2008 Olympics EF
4. Anastasia Ilyankova (RUS), 2017 Worlds QF
3. Yao Jinnan (CHN), 2013 Worlds AA
2. Kim Gwang Suk (PRK), 1991 Worlds EF
1. Beth Tweddle (GBR), 2012 Olympics QF
Honorable Mentions:
– Cha Yong Hwa (PRK), 2009 Worlds QF [x]
– Nadia Comaneci (ROU), 1976 Olympics EF [x]
– Li Ya (CHN), 2006 Cottbus WC EF [x]
– Liu Xuan (CHN), 2000 Cottbus WC EF [x]
– Mo Huilan (CHN), 1994 Worlds AA [x]
– Diana Varinska (UKR), 2017 Worlds QF [x]
– Xiao Tingting (CHN), 2006 Shanghai WC EF [x]
10. Olga Mostepanova (URS), 1984 Friendship Games AA
9. Liu Tingting (CHN), 2017 National Games AA
8. Elvire Teza (FRA), 1997 Worlds EF
7. Ling Jie (CHN), 1997 National Games EF
6. Shawn Johnson (USA), 2008 Olympics QF
5. Sui Lu (CHN), 2011 Chinese Nationals EF
4. Kui Yuanyuan (CHN), 1997 Worlds EF
3. Catalina Ponor (ROU), 2004 Olympics EF
2. Fan Ye (CHN), 2003 Worlds EF
1. Yang Bo (CHN), 1989 China Cup AA
Honorable Mentions:
– Bai Yawen (CHN), 2014 Worlds EF [x]
– Deng Linlin (CHN), 2011 Chinese Nationals EF [x]
– Tatiana Groshkova (URS), 1990 USA vs. USSR AA [x]
– Li Qi (CHN), 2017 National Games EF [x]
– Li Ya (CHN), 2004 Olympics QF [x]
– Nastia Liukin (USA), 2008 Pac Rims AA [x]
– Olga Roschupkina (UKR), 1999 Worlds EF [x]
10. Dominique Dawes (USA), 1992 Dodge Challenge AA
9. Tatiana Groshkova (URS), 1989 Chunichi Cup AA
8. Camelia Voinea (ROU), 1987 Worlds TF
7. Jiang Yuyuan (CHN), 2008 Olympics EF
6. Aliya Mustafina (RUS), 2010 Worlds AA
5. Vanessa Atler (USA), 1999 U.S. Championships AA
4. Lilia Podkopayeva (UKR), 1996 Olympics AA
3. Cheng Fei (CHN), 2004 Olympics TF
2. Oksana Omelianchik (URS), 1985 Worlds EF
1. Sandra Izbasa (ROU), 2008 Olympics EF
Honorable Mentions:
– Morgan Hurd (USA), 2017 Worlds AA [x]
– Meng Fei (CHN), 1997 Worlds EF [x]
– Sae Miyakawa (JPN), 2017 Event Nationals EF [x]
– Brooklyn Moors (CAN), 2017 Worlds EF [x]
– Olga Mostepanova (URS), 1983 Worlds AA [x]
– Anna Pavlova (RUS), 2008 Olympics AA [x]
– Ana Porgras (ROU), 2009 Worlds AA [x]
