VAult
Originally, the vaulting table was developed for Roman soldiers to train to mount and dismount horses quickly. The first vaulting table was incredibly horse shaped. Athletes would run from close proximity and try to mount and dismount it as fast and efficiently as possible. The first vaulting tables even had a curved up edge shaped like he neck of a horse. When vault was revitalized by the “Father of Gymnastics” in the late 18th century, it lost its neck and became much more rounded and symmetrical allowing for a wide variety of vaults to be performed.
The first vaults to be performed consisted of jumping, placing hands on the table and swinging feet around the side to a landing. This vaulting style was most similar to previous training in mounting and dismounting horses. Soon front handsprings over the vaulting table began to be competed along with vaults twisting in the preflight or post flight. Springboards came into use leading to the development of even harder vaults such as Tsukaharas or Yurchenkos which consist of a flipping element after the block. Having both twisting and flipping elements on the horse-like table caused many injuries due to its small surface are. In 2001, the official vaulting table as changed to what currently exists (Ebsco). The platform now has a large square surface are with a rounded front which allows for safer crashes, and a reduced chance of injury due to missing the vaulting table with the hands. This new apparatus let athletes push the limits even further. Double flips and 2.5 twists are able to be performed with confidence because of the updates to the apparatus making it safer to train on and easier to be consistent with.
The first vaults to be performed consisted of jumping, placing hands on the table and swinging feet around the side to a landing. This vaulting style was most similar to previous training in mounting and dismounting horses. Soon front handsprings over the vaulting table began to be competed along with vaults twisting in the preflight or post flight. Springboards came into use leading to the development of even harder vaults such as Tsukaharas or Yurchenkos which consist of a flipping element after the block. Having both twisting and flipping elements on the horse-like table caused many injuries due to its small surface are. In 2001, the official vaulting table as changed to what currently exists (Ebsco). The platform now has a large square surface are with a rounded front which allows for safer crashes, and a reduced chance of injury due to missing the vaulting table with the hands. This new apparatus let athletes push the limits even further. Double flips and 2.5 twists are able to be performed with confidence because of the updates to the apparatus making it safer to train on and easier to be consistent with.
Vault is unlike any of the other events. It is extremely short, only taking a few seconds to complete, and it drives the athlete to harness all of their energy into one burst of power. When vaulting, it is extremely important to have a good run. The best vaulters have the fastest, most powerful sprints which they are then able to drive into the spring board for maximum lift. The block requires strong, yet tight shoulders, to get the optimal block in order to drive the chest up in order to initiate a flip. The landing of the vault is the toughest part. To go from such a fast speed to completely stopped with stuck landing is incredible. Only the best, most spatially aware gymnasts are able to stick consistently.
From a mental standpoint, vault is difficult because there are many things that need to be thought about before performing and such a short time during competition to do so. A good, powerful vault happens in less than 4 seconds. That’s barely enough time for the brain to react to what is happening. If something goes wrong in a vault, there is no time to think; the only way to respond is through instincts. Vault is built on muscle memory and the split second response of the bring without thinking. For this reason, many people get hurt vaulting. Common errors are over and under rotation and twisting, slow run, inadequate block, and inadequate entry position which can be seen in the video below. Many leg and ankle injuries are sustained on the vault. Overall, vault is just as challenging as any of the other events in gymnastics but still manages to keep its highly unique qualities.