Gymnastics is a sport built on courage, creativity, and difficulty. But not every skill stayed in competition. Some moves disappeared because they were too risky. Others no longer fit modern rules, equipment, or routine styles.
The Korbut flip, Mukhina loop, and Thomas salto are three famous examples.
1. The Korbut Flip
The Korbut flip is probably the most famous banned gymnastics move.
Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut performed it on uneven bars at the 1972 Munich Olympics. She stood on top of the high bar, jumped backward into a salto, and regrasped the same rail before continuing her routine.
The move is also commonly called the:
- Dead Loop
- Death Loop
- Korbut Loop
However, Korbut flip is the more accurate name. “Dead Loop” and “Death Loop” are dramatic online nicknames, not official FIG terms.
How the Korbut Flip Worked
Korbut first climbed into a standing position on the high bar.
From there, she:
- Jumped backward from both feet.
- Rotated backward above and behind the bar.
- Reached for the high bar while completing the salto.
- Regrasped the rail.
- Continued into a swing.
The movement required exact timing.
If the gymnast traveled too far backward, she could miss the bar. If she stayed too close, she could strike the rail during the salto. If she under-rotated, she could fall toward the head, shoulders, neck, or back.
Why the Korbut Flip Disappeared
The Korbut flip is prohibited today because it requires an uneven bars salto from a two-foot takeoff, and the current FIG Code does not recognize it as a valued element. The skill is also absent from the current uneven bars element tables.
2. The Mukhina Loop
The Mukhina loop was a more difficult variation of the Korbut flip.
It was performed by Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, who became the 1978 world all-around champion.
Like Korbut, Mukhina began from a standing position on the high bar. She then performed a backward salto with a full twist before regrasping the bar.
The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame describes Mukhina’s bars skill as a full-twisting layout Korbut flip.
How the Mukhina Loop Worked
The Mukhina loop used the same basic setup as the Korbut flip, but added a full twist.
The gymnast had to:
- Stand on the high bar.
- Jump backward from both feet.
- Generate enough height to clear the rail.
- Complete the backward layout salto.
- Complete a full twist.
- Locate and regrasp the bar.
The added twist made the skill more complex than the original Korbut flip.
The gymnast’s body orientation changed in the air, making the timing of the catch more difficult. A mistimed twist could leave the hands in the wrong position or cause the gymnast to miss the rail entirely.
Why the Mukhina Loop Disappeared
The Mukhina loop disappeared for the same main rule reason as the Korbut flip.
It requires a standing two-foot salto takeoff from the high bar. Since the current FIG Women’s Code prohibits uneven bars saltos and dismounts with a takeoff from two feet, the original Mukhina loop cannot be used in modern FIG competition.
It is also not listed as a valued uneven bars element in the current Code.
Was Elena Mukhina Injured Performing the Mukhina Loop?
No. This is one of the most common myths in gymnastics history. Mukhina was not paralyzed while performing her uneven bars skill.
Her catastrophic injury happened in 1980 while she was training a Thomas-style tumbling skill on floor exercise. The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame states that Mukhina under-rotated a Thomas salto, landed on her chin, and severely damaged her spine.
3. The Thomas Salto
The Thomas salto is one of the most dangerous named floor skills in gymnastics history.
It was named after American gymnast Kurt Thomas, the first American male gymnast to win a world title. USA Gymnastics credits Thomas with several original skills, including the Thomas salto on floor exercise.
Unlike the Korbut flip and Mukhina loop, the Thomas salto was not performed on uneven bars. It was a floor exercise element.
How the Thomas Salto Worked
The Thomas salto involved:
- A backward tumbling takeoff.
- One and a half backward saltos.
- One and a half twists.
- A forward rollout instead of a normal feet-first landing.
The skill could be performed in tucked or piked form.
The key feature was the rollout finish.
Most modern tumbling elements finish with the gymnast landing on the feet. The Thomas salto continued through the hands, shoulders, and upper body into a roll.
A basic forward roll is not the same as a Thomas salto. The danger came from combining a difficult twisting salto with a rollout landing.
Why the Thomas Salto Was So Dangerous
The gymnast needed enough rotation to place the hands and shoulders safely before the head, chin, or neck reached the floor.
If the gymnast under-rotated, the chin, face, head, or neck could strike first. If the gymnast over-rotated or traveled incorrectly, the upper back or back of the head could absorb the landing force.
Unlike a feet-first landing, a rollout did not allow the gymnast to absorb most of the force through the ankles, knees, hips, and leg muscles.
Elena Mukhina’s Accident
Elena Mukhina was training a Thomas salto before the 1980 Moscow Olympics. During one attempt, she under-rotated and landed on her chin. The injury severely damaged her spine and left her quadriplegic.
Her accident is one of the most serious examples of the danger associated with rollout tumbling.
Why the Thomas Salto Disappeared
The Thomas salto disappeared because of its landing method. The problem was that a small rotation error could direct force into the gymnast’s head, neck, or spine.
Modern gymnastics expects difficult tumbling to finish with a controlled, recognizable landing. Extreme rollout saltos no longer fit that expectation. The current 2025–2028 Men’s Code no longer lists the historic Thomas-style rollout as a recognized competitive floor element.
Banned, Removed, Devalued, or Obsolete?
These terms do not mean the same thing.
- Banned or Prohibited
A rule prevents the gymnast from performing the skill or the technique required to complete it. The original Korbut and Mukhina skills fall into this category because they rely on a prohibited type of takeoff.
- Removed From the Code
A skill no longer appears in the official element tables. It may receive no difficulty credit, be recognized as another element, or violate a separate technical rule.
- Devalued
The skill remains legal but receives a lower difficulty rating. A devalued skill may disappear because the scoring reward no longer justifies its risk.
- Obsolete
A movement may disappear because the equipment or routine style changes. Many historical uneven-bars skills became impractical when the rails moved farther apart and routines evolved toward giant swings and flight.
- Rare
Some moves remain legal but are seldom used because they offer little scoring value or carry a high risk of deductions.
Are All Dangerous Gymnastics Skills Banned?
No. Many dangerous gymnastics skills are still legal. The FIG does not ban every risky skill. Instead, it limits moves with especially dangerous takeoffs, landings, or body positions.
Safety is also managed through better mats, equipment rules, coaching progressions, and judging deductions.
So, a legal skill is not always a safe skill. It simply means the move is allowed under the current rules.
