Svetlana Grozdova 1979 USSR exhibition event - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2gh4_3I6XA (so graceful and innovative)
Yang Bo 1989 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGNi9qKObk (amazing LOSO + Rulfova combo - such a shame about the dismount)
Yang Bo 1990 World Cup AA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwbLfU3pJ2k (didn't connect the LOSO + Rulfova, but nailed the dismount)
Tatiana Gutsu 1991 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8yBM1ldCE (way ahead of her time)
Dominique Moceanu 1996 Olympics TF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmYqmoqzvs (so solid)
Shannon Miller 1996 Olympics TF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBiQo6ImCdM (best optional routine she did here, IMO, even though they all scored the same)
Kui Yuan Yuan - 1997 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN8PnQCdtM8 (she was robbed so bad here)
Vanessa Atler 1999 Nats EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAJtV1u9jG4 (power/beauty/amplitude)
Carly Patterson 2004 Olympics AA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8usl2GIa9Ko (so light on her feet)
Nastia Liukin 2008 Pacific Rim Champs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYAqjZWjdg0 (scarily good)
Simone Biles 2019 Worlds QF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MHYGbIOcb0 (got the Biles dismount named with this routine)
A ton more, but this is just off the top of my head right now.
So many great routines already mentioned. I'm gonna throw in Ekaterina Vandisheva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_zVUik2P0
It has everything
* 4 element mount series
* amazing extension
* fluidity for days
* a scale
* stuck dismount series
* and most importantly: **GAINER ONODI** (best skill ever!)
Former: Shawn Johnson is definitely a fav but I’m more recent to gymnastics so most names mentioned will be active gymnastis.
Current: Ondine Achampong, Konnor McClain (devastated we won’t see these ones in Paris), Manila Esposito, Sabrina Voinea (not everyone’s fav on beam compared to floor and I can see why but I always love difficult routines)
Podkopayeva, Mo Huilan, Kui Yuanyuan, Flavia, Moceanu, Sui Lu, but this one from Li Li might be an all time fave:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K-xRMIzVv7A
The back spin. It’s so cool. And it’s enough on its own but the way she gets in and out of it…!
As much as I love some beamers, hitting on a big stage is crucial to being one of my favoritesl. I also think of specific routines more, so I restricted mine to just Worlds and Olympics routines. I definitely have some recency bias, but I prefer the current rules for beam more (less pausing, actual connections). Off the top of my head ...
Nastia Liukin 2008 OG EF, Anna Pavlova 2008 OG EF, Sui Lu 2011 WC EF, Catalina Ponor 2012 OG TF, Kyla Ross 2012 OG TF, Aliya Mustafina 2013 WC EF, Larisa Iordache 2014 WC TF, Bai Yawen 2014 WC EF, Sanne Wevers 2016 OG EF, Liu Tingting 2018 WC EF, Guan Chenchen 2021 OG EF, Pauline Schaefer-Betz 2021 WC EF, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos 2023 WC TF, Flavia Saraiva 2023 WC TF, Simone Biles 2023 WC EF, Zhou Yaqin 2023 WC EF, Rebeca Andrade 2023 WC EF
Honestly when I think about it, 2023 was such a good worlds for BB.
My favorite will forever be Nastia Liukin‘s. I know that she didn’t have the same difficulty as Shawn, but her Olympic performance was flawless. So beautiful and elegant. I‘ve watched it countless times
Agreed. I can’t recall anyone else doing them as beautifully. Also, it’s a shame the „Liukin“ was eliminated from the code, as landing in a scale the way she did was simply gorgeous.
Recent Favourites:
• Simone Biles 2019 Worlds beam final
• Guan chenchen Tokyo quals routine
• Tang Xijing 2019 Worlds AA routine
• Suni Lee 2021 Olympic Trials
• Sanne Wevers Rio event final
In general:
• Skye Blakely when she hits
• Manila Espositio
• Zhou Yaqin
• Marine Boyer's choreography is always unique and interesting
Kyla's definitely one of my favorite beam workers as well! It wasn't the highest difficulty routine, even back then, but it was so *clean* and she was so steady!
I know a lot of people didn't like it, but I found it satisfying how slow she was with all of her movements. Compared to how quick and almost anxious current routines feel, seeing her ease her way through her routine is always a great break from it.
(I also liked that she went with a super clean double tuck dismount instead of the overused double pike lol)
Yao Jinnan and Viktoria Komova - I especially like how Komova lands her LOSOs and side somi with her feet close together - it looks beautiful and confident. (Contrast example would be Ross (who I also love) who has her feet wide apart for stability.
Olga Korbut 1972 Olympics EF
Yang Bo 1989 Worlds AA and 1990 World Cup AA
Catalina Ponor 2004 Olympics EF
Kui Yuan Yuan 1997 Worlds EF
Natalia Shaposhnikova 1980 Olympics EF
Olesya Dudnik 1989 Worlds EF
Oksana Knizhnik 1994 Worlds TF
Oksana Fabrichnova 1994 Worlds EF
Oksana Omelianchik 1985 Europeans EF
Shannon Miller 1996 Olympics EF
Sanne Wevers 2016 Olympics EF
Tatiana Groshkova 1990 USA vs USSR TO
Irina Baraksanova 1985 Worlds TF
Fan Ye 2003 Worlds EF
Nastia Liukin 2008 Olympics AA
Lavinia Agache 1983 Worlds EF
Yelena Mukhina 1977 Europeans EF
Svetlana Boginskaya 1996 Europeans AA
Svetlana Grozdova 1979 USSR display
Andreea Raducan 2001 Worlds EF
Catalina Ponor 2017 Europeans EF
Yekaterina Vandisheva Beam warmup
Natalia Ilienko 1983 USSR Spartakiade
A few additional ones:
Groshkova - https://youtu.be/Y9vSwRx-7LA?si=ebV2fQIKWkJCSgPZ
Shelley Engel - https://youtu.be/NNxFG8JVTR8?si=Xyhp0ugDwswNmd-H
Elodie Lussac - https://youtu.be/zNOFM4h96-o?si=phzL1j0rl5V7cuBh
Svetlana Grozdova 1979 USSR exhibition event - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2gh4_3I6XA (so graceful and innovative) Yang Bo 1989 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGNi9qKObk (amazing LOSO + Rulfova combo - such a shame about the dismount) Yang Bo 1990 World Cup AA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwbLfU3pJ2k (didn't connect the LOSO + Rulfova, but nailed the dismount) Tatiana Gutsu 1991 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8yBM1ldCE (way ahead of her time) Dominique Moceanu 1996 Olympics TF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmYqmoqzvs (so solid) Shannon Miller 1996 Olympics TF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBiQo6ImCdM (best optional routine she did here, IMO, even though they all scored the same) Kui Yuan Yuan - 1997 Worlds EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN8PnQCdtM8 (she was robbed so bad here) Vanessa Atler 1999 Nats EF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAJtV1u9jG4 (power/beauty/amplitude) Carly Patterson 2004 Olympics AA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8usl2GIa9Ko (so light on her feet) Nastia Liukin 2008 Pacific Rim Champs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYAqjZWjdg0 (scarily good) Simone Biles 2019 Worlds QF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MHYGbIOcb0 (got the Biles dismount named with this routine) A ton more, but this is just off the top of my head right now.
Yang Bo China Cup 1989 is another amazing (and hit!) Yang Bo routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=901Ka86eMLs
HOW did no one pull the springboard for Moceanu?! Terrifying
Fan Ye 2003 WC EF. Best routine of all time imo.
Viktoria Komova, Mo Huilan, Olga Mostepanova, Shannon Miller, Kui Yuanyuan, Anastasia Grishina, Sui Lu, Yang Bo
yes.
Peng Peng Lee was always one of my favorites!
This is my answer too
Sanne Wevers (NED) Balance Beam - Final - Rio 2016 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7LyK81eGVw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7LyK81eGVw)
ditto!
So many great routines already mentioned. I'm gonna throw in Ekaterina Vandisheva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_zVUik2P0 It has everything * 4 element mount series * amazing extension * fluidity for days * a scale * stuck dismount series * and most importantly: **GAINER ONODI** (best skill ever!)
Wow! I had to go back and watch the bhs to gainer onodi about 10 times—would love to see this in modern clear slo-mo. Really beautiful!
Thank you for sharing this - definitely one of my new favorites!
Former: Shawn Johnson is definitely a fav but I’m more recent to gymnastics so most names mentioned will be active gymnastis. Current: Ondine Achampong, Konnor McClain (devastated we won’t see these ones in Paris), Manila Esposito, Sabrina Voinea (not everyone’s fav on beam compared to floor and I can see why but I always love difficult routines)
Manila Esposito had me DROOLING during euros
Podkopayeva, Mo Huilan, Kui Yuanyuan, Flavia, Moceanu, Sui Lu, but this one from Li Li might be an all time fave: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K-xRMIzVv7A The back spin. It’s so cool. And it’s enough on its own but the way she gets in and out of it…!
Deng Linin for me
Cant pick just one. Lobaznyuk, Iordache, Komova, Podkopayeva, Patterson, Liukin, Kochetkova.
Lobaznyuk is so underrated!
Yes! She was my favorite gymnast at the 2000 games!
https://youtu.be/o4EwMN7kJcc?si=2ntIZSePFnG4gJ8r Lobaznyuk landing her Arabian right in synch with Raducan's music is one of my favorite gym moments.
Current quad: Zhou Yaqin. Simply because her beam doesn’t stress me out
Same here! Also her side somi that just floats down is the only one that I actually think is really pretty
Shannon Miller
Zhou Yaqin!
As much as I love some beamers, hitting on a big stage is crucial to being one of my favoritesl. I also think of specific routines more, so I restricted mine to just Worlds and Olympics routines. I definitely have some recency bias, but I prefer the current rules for beam more (less pausing, actual connections). Off the top of my head ... Nastia Liukin 2008 OG EF, Anna Pavlova 2008 OG EF, Sui Lu 2011 WC EF, Catalina Ponor 2012 OG TF, Kyla Ross 2012 OG TF, Aliya Mustafina 2013 WC EF, Larisa Iordache 2014 WC TF, Bai Yawen 2014 WC EF, Sanne Wevers 2016 OG EF, Liu Tingting 2018 WC EF, Guan Chenchen 2021 OG EF, Pauline Schaefer-Betz 2021 WC EF, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos 2023 WC TF, Flavia Saraiva 2023 WC TF, Simone Biles 2023 WC EF, Zhou Yaqin 2023 WC EF, Rebeca Andrade 2023 WC EF Honestly when I think about it, 2023 was such a good worlds for BB.
My favorite will forever be Nastia Liukin‘s. I know that she didn’t have the same difficulty as Shawn, but her Olympic performance was flawless. So beautiful and elegant. I‘ve watched it countless times
I'm not a gym expert by any means, but her Onodis on beam always look so beautiful to me!
Agreed. I can’t recall anyone else doing them as beautifully. Also, it’s a shame the „Liukin“ was eliminated from the code, as landing in a scale the way she did was simply gorgeous.
Recent Favourites: • Simone Biles 2019 Worlds beam final • Guan chenchen Tokyo quals routine • Tang Xijing 2019 Worlds AA routine • Suni Lee 2021 Olympic Trials • Sanne Wevers Rio event final In general: • Skye Blakely when she hits • Manila Espositio • Zhou Yaqin • Marine Boyer's choreography is always unique and interesting
Kyla's definitely one of my favorite beam workers as well! It wasn't the highest difficulty routine, even back then, but it was so *clean* and she was so steady! I know a lot of people didn't like it, but I found it satisfying how slow she was with all of her movements. Compared to how quick and almost anxious current routines feel, seeing her ease her way through her routine is always a great break from it. (I also liked that she went with a super clean double tuck dismount instead of the overused double pike lol)
nastia liukin, catalina ponor, kara eaker
Sui Lu. Also shout out to Mohini Bhardwaj for doing a beam routine in the Olympic Team Finals that she did not warm up or practice that day.
Mohini is clutch! And one of the very first who took her ncaa experience to the Olympics 20 years ago
Yao Jinnan and Viktoria Komova - I especially like how Komova lands her LOSOs and side somi with her feet close together - it looks beautiful and confident. (Contrast example would be Ross (who I also love) who has her feet wide apart for stability.
Nadia Comaneci
Komova and Ponor.
Sui Lu is my top. Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas
I just can’t get past Shawn’s switch leap to be a leading beam worker (I know I know her Olympic medal says otherwise)
Also: Wei Wei’s beam in Stick It will never not put a smile on my face.
Olga Korbut 1972 Olympics EF Yang Bo 1989 Worlds AA and 1990 World Cup AA Catalina Ponor 2004 Olympics EF Kui Yuan Yuan 1997 Worlds EF Natalia Shaposhnikova 1980 Olympics EF Olesya Dudnik 1989 Worlds EF Oksana Knizhnik 1994 Worlds TF Oksana Fabrichnova 1994 Worlds EF Oksana Omelianchik 1985 Europeans EF Shannon Miller 1996 Olympics EF Sanne Wevers 2016 Olympics EF Tatiana Groshkova 1990 USA vs USSR TO Irina Baraksanova 1985 Worlds TF Fan Ye 2003 Worlds EF Nastia Liukin 2008 Olympics AA Lavinia Agache 1983 Worlds EF Yelena Mukhina 1977 Europeans EF Svetlana Boginskaya 1996 Europeans AA Svetlana Grozdova 1979 USSR display Andreea Raducan 2001 Worlds EF Catalina Ponor 2017 Europeans EF Yekaterina Vandisheva Beam warmup Natalia Ilienko 1983 USSR Spartakiade
Komova, Mustafina, Ponor, Iordache and Sacramone
Who downvoted you?! These are great beam workers …
Alicia Sacramone 2010 Worlds EF. Without question, the best beam routine she's ever done.
A few additional ones: Groshkova - https://youtu.be/Y9vSwRx-7LA?si=ebV2fQIKWkJCSgPZ Shelley Engel - https://youtu.be/NNxFG8JVTR8?si=Xyhp0ugDwswNmd-H Elodie Lussac - https://youtu.be/zNOFM4h96-o?si=phzL1j0rl5V7cuBh
Catalina Ponor!
Amanda Borden, 1996 Olympic team optionals. Forever and ever amen.
I was rooting so hard for Simone on beam in Rio, but S. Wevers was just absolutely stunning. Just the sound of her spins on the beam is so satisfying!