I want to go last: How performance order affects Women’s Artistic Gymnastics?

The order in which gymnasts perform their routines varies across competitions in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG). In this study, we aimed to investigate if the Performance Order has any influence on gymnasts scores and, secondly, which apparatus is the most important predictor for higher Scores in All-Around. For that, we analyze data from three World Championships: Kitakyushu (2021), Liverpool (2022) and Antwerp (2023), encompassing 171 routines in all four WAG apparatus (Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise). Results have shown no evidence that Performance Order affects Total Score in Apparatus Finals, however we found that gymnasts who start on Vault in All-Around phase have significantly higher means (p<0,05) than gymnasts who start on other apparatus. Furthermore, results have shown that Uneven Bars and Balance Beam are the most important predictors of Total Score in All-Around phase. Additionally, D-Scores have demonstrated a greater impact on results compared to E-Scores. Keywords: Artistic Gymnastics, Performance Order, Evaluation, Score