In gymnastics, the vault is one of the most dynamic and exciting events, where gymnasts aim to score big through a combination of speed, power, and precision. The highest scores in vault can surpass 16.0, but achieving this requires an exceptional combination of difficulty and near-perfect execution.
One of the most famous high scores in the vault event was achieved by McKayla Maroney during the 2012 London Olympics. She executed an Amanar vault, earning a stunning score of 16.233, which is still celebrated as one of the highest in Olympic history.
The Amanar, a Yurchenko-style vault with two and a half twists, is known for its difficulty and has a high potential score due to its technical demands.
Simone Biles also holds notable high scores in the vault, performing one of the most challenging vaults currently recognized in women’s gymnastics, the Yurchenko double pike. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she scored 15.766 in the all-around final, becoming the first woman to successfully complete this vault in Olympic competition.
The Highest Possible Score
Given the open-ended nature of the current scoring system, there is technically no upper limit to the score a gymnast can achieve on vault. However, in practical terms, the highest scores seen in elite competition typically range from 15.5 to 16.5.
The theoretical maximum score can be broken down as follows:
- Difficulty Score: The most difficult vaults currently being performed in competition have D-scores around 6.0 to 6.4. For example, the Yurchenko double pike, performed by Simone Biles, has a D-score of 6.6.
- Execution Score: The maximum E-score is 10.0, achieved only with perfect execution.
Therefore, if a gymnast were to perform the most difficult vault currently recognized (D-score of 6.6) with flawless execution (E-score of 10.0), they could theoretically achieve a score of 16.6.
What Are The Highest-scoring Women’s Vaults?
The maximum possible score in vault largely depends on the difficulty of the vault being performed. Here are the highest-scoring vaults in women’s gymnastics, along with their corresponding difficulty scores:
1. Biles II (Yurchenko Double Pike)
- Difficulty Score: 6.4
The Biles II is one of the hardest vaults in women’s gymnastics. It involves a Yurchenko entry (round-off onto the springboard, back handspring onto the vaulting table) followed by two backward flips in a pike position. This vault is particularly difficult due to the pike position, which slows down the rotation, making the two flips harder to complete and requiring impeccable strength and control.
The 6.4 difficulty score is among the highest for women’s vaults, showcasing the skill and precision required to perform it.
2. Produnova (Hands-Spring Double Front Vault)
- Difficulty Score: 6.4
The Produnova vault, also known as the “vault of death,” involves a handspring onto the vault table, followed by two front flips in a tucked position. It is one of the riskiest vaults in gymnastics due to the blind landing and the speed at which it is performed, leaving little margin for error. Any mistakes in the rotation or landing can result in dangerous falls.
This vault also has a 6.4 difficulty score, the highest possible rating, due to its extreme risk and complexity.
3. Cheng Vault (Round-Off Half-On, Front Layout with 1.5 Twists)
- Difficulty Score: 6.0
The Cheng vault involves a round-off onto the springboard, a half-twist onto the vaulting table, and a front layout off the vault with 1.5 twists. This vault is difficult because of the combination of twisting and flipping in a forward layout position, which requires both power and control to execute properly.
The 6.0 difficulty score reflects the vault’s high technical demands and is a common choice for elite gymnasts seeking to maximize their score.
4. Biles I (Amanar Vault)
- Difficulty Score: 5.8 – 6.0
The Biles I, or Amanar, involves a round-off onto the springboard, a back handspring onto the vault table, and 2.5 twists in a layout position. The Amanar is one of the most frequently performed high-difficulty vaults in women’s gymnastics, known for its high risk and potential for big scores if executed well.
The 5.8 – 6.0 difficulty score depends on execution and is still one of the more complex vaults in competition.
5. Rudi (Round-Off Half-On, Front Layout with 1 Twist)
- Difficulty Score: 5.8
The Rudi vault is a front-twisting vault performed after a round-off and half-twist onto the vault table. The gymnast executes a layout front flip with a full twist. While it is slightly less complex than the Cheng, it is still highly difficult and commonly seen in elite competitions.
The 5.8 difficulty score reflects the combination of twists and flips in the front layout position, which is challenging due to the forward rotation and blind landing.
6. Mustafina (Round-Off Half-On, Front Layout with 1 Twist)
- Difficulty Score: 5.6
The Mustafina vault is similar to the Rudi but typically involves fewer twists (1 twist compared to 1.5 twists in the Cheng). Named after Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina, this vault is popular among elite gymnasts due to its combination of difficulty and relative safety compared to riskier vaults like the Produnova.
The 5.6 difficulty score makes it a high-level vault, although slightly easier than the Cheng or Biles II.
Conclusion
To surpass a score of 16.0 in gymnastics vault, a gymnast must perform a vault with an exceptionally high difficulty rating (D-score) and execute it with almost flawless technique (E-score). The key to achieving this lies in combining both a high difficulty vault and minimizing deductions in form, technique, and landing.
