Beam Routines of the Decade—as voted by the gymternet
Single vote entries:
The Results are in! Here are your favorite beam routines of the decade, as voted by the gymternet! All links and descriptions under the cut!
1. Sui Lu (CHN)—2011 Worlds EF (33 votes)
Difficult acro and dance with textbook form and extension—powerful yet light beam work. One of the best Grigoras’s (front tuck ½) in the business on full display here, and ends a near-perfect routine with a stuck double pike. Her gold-winning routine received the highest international beam score of the 09-12 quad. in summary, stan sui lu.
2. Sanne Wevers (NED)—2016 Olympics EF (21 votes)
Unique and unusual routine construction heavily reliant on dance elements like her eponymous skill (double L turn), plus long dance connections. The first Dutch female gymnast to become an individual Olympic champion.
3. Liu Tingting (CHN)—2018 Worlds EF (14 votes)
Classic long lines, amazing leaps/jumps, perfect example of how to maximize the connection-favoring 2017-20 beam code.
4. Ana Porgras (ROU)—2010 Worlds EF (9 votes)
Remember when Romania was great? Me too. Porgras had a short career (I crey evrytim), but thank god she won a beam gold because she deserved it. Gorgeous bhs+bhs+layout to 2 feet, great height and flexibility on the switch ring, fluid and graceful rhythm, and just a great example of the best that Romanian beam has to offer.
4. Ou Yushan (CHN)—2019 Chinese Jr. Nationals EF (9 votes)
04 junior but doesn’t stop us from stanning her too early. Graceful, slow but steady rhythm, insane form (that toepoint!!), and creative and difficult connections.
6. Aliya Mustafina (RUS)—2013 Worlds EF (8 votes)
Aliya has a bit of a reputation for hilarious beam inconsistency now, but when she pulls it together like she did here, I start feeling faint like a southern belle in too-hot weather. Beautiful switch 1/2 to onodi, double turn, switch ring, a successful completion of her acro series, and fantastic eyeshadow to match her leo..... #JustAliyaThings
6. Li Qi (CHN)—2017 Chinese Nationals EF (8 votes)
She might be plagued with injuries now, BUT WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THIS ROUTINE. A certified beam queen, beautiful layout to 2 feet, the fastest connections you will ever see, plus a casually stuck triple twist dismount.
7. Catalina Ponor (ROU)—2017 Euros EF (6 votes)
Ponor performed this winning routine in front of a Romanian home crowd in Cluj, and later retired that year, capping off an illustrious career stretching back to 2003. One of the greatest Romanian beamers ever.
Her 2012 Olympic TF routine also received 1 vote.
8. Mariya Livchikova (UKR)—2011 Ghent EF (2 votes)
WE LOVE BEAUTIFUL HEADCASE BEAMERS. Super difficult front aerial+front tuck series, and awesome Arabian straight out of a split handstand.
These routines all received 1 vote
Elena Gerasimova (RUS)—2019 Junior Worlds EF
The inaugural junior world beam champion! 03:57 timestamp is everyone’s collective reaction to this routine.
Flavia Saraiva (BRA)—2019 Worlds QF
Notes: The best ring elements in the world right now, no I don’t take criticism. Gorgeous bhs+bhs+layout flight series. Also, THAT EYESHADOW
Luo Huan (CHN)—2013 Chinese National Games TF
Effortless beam from a young, tiny Luo Huan. Damn you Zhejiang coaches and damn you coach wang.
Larisa Iordache (ROU)— 2014 Worlds TF and 2014 Romanian Nationals routine
RO+back tuck 1/1, triple twist dismount in her Worlds routine and overall great execution. Her Rom Nats routine is a bit rougher, but she casually has a layout, back tuck 1/1 AND a layout 1/1 all in one routine, and then casually ends the routine with a triple twist dismount. You know, just casual Lari things.
Andreea Munteanu (ROU)—2014 Avoine EF
Beautiful back tuck 1/1, and beautiful style, leaps, acro, everything. Come back, please?
Simone Biles (USA)
2019 Worlds QF/EF: Very efficient routine construction, and eponymous double double dismount, the most difficult beam dismount ever and named after her at this comp.
2016 Pac Rims: Difficult acro including a barani—pretty much zero hesitations, and ends with a near stick of her full in dismount.
Sarah Finnegan (USA)—2012 Olympic Trials
Fantastic standing arabian and layout series!
“Romanians love the name Andreea but it is cursed! Aura ANDREEA Munteanu, ANDREEA Eugenia Munteanu, Larisa ANDREEA Iordache, ANDREEA Raducan, Andreea Iridon... Just count them”
