In 2015, the start value of a Yurchenko full on vault was devalued from a 10.0 to a 9.950 in NCAA gymnastics.
Now, just over a decade later, fans of the sport have sprung up the conversation of devaluing the Yurchenko one and a half that has since replaced the full on vault.
It’s no secret that the Yurchenko one and a half has taken over collegiate gymnastics due to its low-risk, high-reward status on the event. On the LSU gymnastics roster alone, nine of the 13 vaulters on the team compete a one and a half.
Before that, however, there used to be more of a variety seen in the lineups, which is why fans are starting to voice their frustrations.
“NCAA wag [women’s artistic gymnastics] vault is the most boring event EVER,” @theegymmdiaryy said on X. “It’s just FTY [full twisting Yurchenko’s] on repeat [to] save a few teams.”
The mention of the lack of an interesting or diverse lineup was agreed upon by many.
“95 percent of all vaults are a FTY or a Y1.5 [Yurchenko one and a half],” @vaultscoring replied. “4 percent is just handspring pike 1/2s like why does a TSUK TUCK 1.5 [Tsukahara tuck 1.5] thrill me.”
Altogether, the thread got nearly 10,000 impressions, and for good reason. When looking at the LSU program’s history on the event, there used to be a much larger variety in what skills were to be competed on the table.
Aleah Finnegan used to compete the Omelianchik in her 2022 and 2023 seasons before switching, adding a Yurchenko one and a half to her 2024 and 2025 arsenals. Familiar names like Konnor McClain, Ashleigh Gnat, Kiya Johnson and Bryce Wilson also all trained and competed double-twisting Yurchenko’s during their career as a Tiger.
These are just a few examples of vaults that can be competed in the NCAA with a 10.0 start value. According to College Gym News, there are 26 total vaults that could be competed for a maximum score of 10, but the Yurchenko one and a half has become the default.
For gymnasts and coaches, there are many reasons as to why the one and a half has become so popular. For starters, adding a half twist to the commonly trained Yurchenko full makes training a lot simpler than trying to learn a completely new skill. This was the case for LSU’s Kaliya Lincoln ahead of the 2026 season.
“Kaliya [Lincoln], I mean, the plan all fall was for her to do the [Yurchenko] double full,” head coach Jay Clark said. “But now, I think she’s just comfortable with [the Yurchenko one and a half]. It was brand new for her last year; she’d never done a one and a half, and she has to really control her speed and everything because she’s so quick. So I just think she’s dialing in the landing.”
A little further east in Florida, it was a similar story regarding upgrading from the full to the one and a half.
“It’s not that hard to teach a full and land it safely,” Florida associate head coach Adrian Burde said. “[But] going from a full to a one and a half, you take a lot of risk.”
Risks like ACL tears and hyperextensions from the one and a half’s blind landing are the key factor in keeping the skill at a 10.0 start value. However, Burde’s argument only supports the idea of expanding to skills outside of the Yurchenko family.
Currently, LSU’s Madison Ulrich and Victoria Roberts compete front pike-halfs on vault, both of which have 10.0 start values. With this, the gymnasts land facing the table and avoid a blind landing.
LSU assistant coach and former gymnast Haleigh Bryant competed the same vault and recorded 10 career perfect scores on the event with the front pike-half as well, further illustrating that different vaults can be rewarded just as much as the Yurchenko one and a half.
Even so, many coaches are quick to point out how the current scoring landscape continues to favor the one and a half.
“We showed it at nationals last year,” Oklahoma head coach KJ Kindler said. “A Yurchenko one and a half has more margin for error than a full does. Period. 0.5 doesn’t reflect the margin of error that is so much greater in that vault.”
It’s clear that the devaluing of the Yurchenko full was because it became both too easy and too common. The one and a half, however, only sparks conversations because of its default status. Spectators have become bored of seeing the same skill competed over and over, even if it gives their team the best chance at winning.
While it’s obvious that the Yurchenko one and a half has a few more seasons of being perfected before it’s considered to be devalued, there’s no question that the rule change is in the near future.
In the meantime, the NCAA should consider creating a way to diversify vault lineups.
