Unpopular opinion: I don’t believe in ties in gymnastics.
In a subjectively judged sport, judges should first and foremost be able to rank athletes from the strongest to the weakest performances. Scores are a way to try to quantify this ranking, but when it comes down to it, the rankings are more important than the actual score. So when there are results like a seven-way tie for first place on floor at the 2023 Norman regional final, all with a 9.950, the judges failed to do their job and properly rank the athletes.
In this article, I picked a tie for first place on each event from four different competitions over the past two seasons, all of which tied with a 9.950. Check out the videos below to see the full routine breakdowns with my commentary, as well as who I think should have won the title.
Vault
2023 SEC championship
Four-way tie with a 9.950
No. 1 Gabby Gladieux (Alabama): 9.950
Deductions: honestly nothing, an actually perfect Yurchenko full
No. 2 Sloane Blakely (Florida): 9.95?
Deductions: small hop forward, but did she present to the judges?If so, it would be an additional tenth off.
No. 3 Cassie Stevens (Auburn): 9.850
Deductions: shoulder angle on table, body…
