Event
Balance beam
Skill type
Turn
Value
D
Known as
Wolf double
Double tuck turn
Double wolf turn
Is this hell? Am I in hell?
About
Among the most loathed skills in gymnastics because it typically looks like the death throes of a remote-control helicopter before it runs out of batteries, the double wolf turn is valued at D (0.4). That is its only personality trait. No one loves it, but it is a D-rated dance element, so we’re all going to do it for the tenths. But why this D-rated dance element in particular?
The wolf turn has several very appealing assets compared to pretty much all other D+ dance elements on beam. First, the foot never has to leave the beam, and the head never has to lose sight of the ground, which for most gymnasts makes it a lot less risky than an equally valued ring-leaping dance element. Second, the center of gravity is much lower than it is in other equally valued turns. That doesn’t erase the risk. At all. But it’s probably less risky. If you can hold yourself in that position, you’d be silly not to include this element.
The only blunting factor in the pervasiveness of the wolf double on beam was the 2022 rule change that said only one wolf turn could be counted for difficulty value in a single routine. Meaning gymnasts who were doing both the double and the triple ditched the double in favor of only the more-valuable triple.