Chalk Talk: Breaking down the pommel horse
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It may look like they are just going in circles, but gymnasts have a lot to accomplish in a pommel horse routine.
“There are five different element groups,” Ohio State gymnast Jesse Pakele said. “We’ve got scissors, flairs, dismount, one-pommel circles and travels.”
Those are the skills that are not only fundamental to a pommel horse routine, but a pommel horse score.
“They are worth five tenths each to add to your (difficulty) score,” Pakele said. “Difficulty is everything.”
Honestly, the whole event is difficult. However, there are some guys, like Team USA’s Stephen Nedoroscik, who definitely glide along the pommel horse. At the Tokyo Games, the United States’ specialist was former Buckeye Alec Yoder, who was coached by OSU assistant Casimiro Suarez.
"You see those people who are like skinny and long, you say this is a pommel horse guy,” Suarez said with a smile, describing exactly how both Yoder and Nedoroscik are built. “It's very hard for the big guys because to put your hands behind your back, it's very complicated.”
Suarez added that pommel swingers are also incredibly strong. He explained why, besides body shape, guys like Yoder and Nedoroscik are pommel horse pros.
"It's a balance,” he said. “Everything is side-to-side. When you go to one pommel, it's side-to-side you cannot go back and forth. As soon as you go back and forth, you lose the support.”
Speaking of balance, the pommel horse is thought to be the balance beam of men’s gymnastics: it doesn’t take much to fall apart.
"One loss of focus and you're going to fall off,” Pakele said.
“It’s mental” Suarez added. "You cannot be too aggressive with it. You need to get the rhythm. The sooner you can start the rhythm, that rhythm you need to start and finish."
And also like balance beam, maybe the hardest part of pommel horse is that you can’t hold back.
"You want to attack the event,” Pakele said. “Honestly to me it's just one of those high-adrenaline events. You have to really focus on and take your time with but also you want to attack the event and you want to be sharp."