THE YURCHENKO DOUBLE PIKE VERSUS THE YURCHENKO DOUBLE TWIST: A THEORETICAL COMPARISON OF LANDING DECELERATIONS

This paper theoretically examines the factors that most affect the average deceleration experienced by an elite level gymnast upon landing either a Yurchenko double twist (YDT) or a Yurchenko double pike (YDP) on vault using real input data. Five factors were evaluated: the gymnast’s height, vault height, flip time, twist time, and landing time. This study analyzed all vaults performed during the 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, CA, on August 25th and 27th to determine reasonable ranges for the five noted variables. Landing time was found to have the largest effect on the landing decelerations. Lengthening the landing time from 0.12 seconds to 0.3 seconds theoretically reduces the G-forces experienced on landing from 6-8 G’s to approximately 2 G’s. Further research is needed to confirm these theoretical results.