Originality and Innovation

Recently I read a topic on IG forum about Overlooked Innovators and I found a few routines and gymnast I had never seen including Anastasia Dzyundzyak on beam whose mount I have never seen anyone else do, not too keen on the rest of the routine but I would love to see someone attempt her mount this year in competition. Ivana how about you bring back your McCool mount and add a front to it!?

Another gymnast I hadn't seen before was Aleftina Priakhina here beam routine is below and I especially like the mount (competed it before Zamolodchikova) and the gainer rulfova.

When watching recent gymnastics I get bored of seeing the same old skills in every routine and so I started to think of original dancework or choreography and innovative skills and connections that we saw in 2009. As the innovators do not get enough credit with the new code I thought I would praise the few gymnasts who are still trying to make their routines interesting.

One of the first gymnasts I thought of was Viktoria Komova, recently at the Voronin Cup she showed a new move on bars - a Khorkina transition from clear pike circle that I have never seen done before. On beam she brought back her flick+layout step-out+arabian connection (although she fell) and the Patterson dismount. I also like that she is doing 1 1/2 step-out into double arabian even though I know she is not the only one to do it. Oh and an amanar.

I will also quickly mention Anna Myzdrikova and her triple full into tuck back which I know she performed in 2008 but she only performed it at Worlds in 2009. I found a video of her in 2008 performing it here where she actually does it better than at Worlds. Here other pass the whip into double arabian is also interesting but I would like to see her do a front out of it as well.
Yulia Belokobylskya a promising Russian junior has some original choreography and her 3rd tumbling pass is a front double twist into a sissone which I like and wouldn't mind seeing more leaps and jumps out of tumbles. Kim Bui also does the same tumble which can be seen here

Guan Wenli showed a new acro combination on beam of free walkover into arabian whch she performed best in the all around at the National Games shown below at 2:19.


Another innovative junior who I have to mention Mai Murakami who recently attempted a triple spin into layout step-out whch probably wasnt counted but still exciting to seeand her other skills also include free cartwheel into sheep jump and 3 1/2 twist on floor.


I'm going to add more examples of this in another post because I'm sure there are others, feel free to add any that you can think of from 2009.