Let’s round out the collection with some floor routines. Obviously, Simone’s in first, but there are about 80,000 different people that are either in the high 5s in difficulty, or just an “actually getting credit for that D dance element that you’re never getting sweetie” away from being in the high 5s.
Simone Biles – 6.8
| SIMONE BILES |
|
| Double layout full (H) + Split jump (A) = 0.1 CV |
|
| Biles (G) + Front layout (B) = 0.2 CV |
|
| Switch leap full (D) | |
| Wolf turn double (D) | |
| Front full (C) through to Mukhina (E) = 0.2 CV |
|
| Switch leap (B) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Silivas (H) | |
| Acro – HHGEC – 3.1 | |
| Dance – DDD – 1.2 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.5 | |
| Total D – 6.8 | |
So, it’s not super close between Simone and Rest of World, but it is worth noting that Simone’s reigning highestD-score routine is the one from Classic, without the triple double, where she received a 6.8. The routine from nationals is also intended to get a 6.8 D, but she has not yet received the full 6.8 for that set.
This routine from Classic is more reliant on connection value (0.5 here compared to 0.3 in the nationals routine) and less reliant on skill values (4.3 here compared to 4.5 in the nationals routine) and actually puts her behind Jade Carey in total skill value since Carey is going for 4.4 on skills, just with fewer connections.
Theoretically, if Biles puts out both the triple double and the Biles + front layout combination at the same time (she was doing the stag out of the Biles at nationals), she would have a 6.9 routine.
Jade Carey – 6.4
| JADE CAREY |
|
| Moors (I) | |
| Popa (C) | |
| Double layout full (H) | |
| Leg-up hop full (C) | |
| Switch leap full (D) | |
| Silivas (H) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Front tuck (A) through to Mukhina (E) | |
| Acro – IHHE – 3.0 | |
| Dance – DDCC – 1.4 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.0 | |
| Attempted D – 6.4 | |
The most we’ve seen Carey receive for this routine this year is 6.3—in the embedded edition, where she would not have received credit for the split leap 1.5—but she is attempting 6.4 should everything go to plan.
There is no connection bonus in this routine (Carey performs a connection in her final pass with no bonus in order to fulfill the front tumbling requirement), so all value must come from skills.
MyKayla Skinner – 6.1
| MYKAYLA SKINNER |
|
| Moors (I) | |
| Front tuck (A) through to Mukhina (E) | |
| Leg-up hop full (C) | |
| Switch leap full (D) | |
| Silivas (H) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Double L turn (D) | |
| Back 2.5 (D) | |
| Acro – IHED – 2.6 | |
| Dance – DDDC – 1.5 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.0 | |
| Attempted D – 6.1 | |
Skinner is trying to go for a max of 6.1 for this routine. The most she received at nationals was 5.8—where it looks like all the leaps will have been taken down 1 CV (at least that’s how I get to 5.8). She’s nearly there on the skill difficulty, but like Carey, has to go entirely on that because there’s no connection bonus in the routine.
Angelina Melnikova – 5.9
| ANGELINA MELNIKOVA |
|
| Double L turn (D) + Double turn (B) = 0.1 CV |
|
| Double layout full (H) | |
| Switch leap (B) | |
| Sankova (D) | |
| Double layout (F) | |
| Wolf turn double (D) | |
| Front tuck (A) through to double tuck (D) | |
| Memmel (D) | |
| Double pike (D) | |
| Acro – HFDD – 2.2 | |
| Dance – DDDD – 1.6 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.1 | |
| Total D – 5.9 | |
There’s quite a bit of risk in Melnikova’s attempted 5.9 D score because she has to get credit for the double L and the turn combination and the Memmel all in the same routine to get up there, but it worked for her at Euros, where she was credited at 5.9 on multiple occasions.
Rebeca Andrade – 5.8
| REBECA ANDRADE |
|
| Double layout full (H) | |
| Double layout (F) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Memmel (D) + Stag (A) | |
| Back 2.5 (D) + Front full (C) = 0.2 CV |
|
| Switch leap (B) | |
| Frolova (C) | |
| Double pike (D) | |
| Acro – HFDDC – 2.5 | |
| Dance – DDC – 1.1 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.2 | |
| Total D – 5.8 | |
Sigh. Andrade was going for a 5.8 for this routine and received everything she tried (which means she got credit for the Memmel in the above routine). The back 2.5 to front full is becoming increasingly popular because it gets that 0.2 CV, but that’s also the pass where the Achilles went wrong for Andrade, so it is canceled.
Mai Murakami – 5.8
| MAI MURAKAMI |
|
| Triple turn (C) | |
| Silivas (H) | |
| Double layout (F) | |
| Back 2.5 (D) + Front full (C) = 0.2 CV |
|
| Switch ring (C) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Double L turn (D) | |
| Double pike (D) | |
| Acro – HFDDC – 2.5 | |
| Dance – DDC – 1.1 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.2 | |
| Total D – 5.8 | |
A 5.8 is the most we’ve seen Murakami get this season, though if she were to get the quad turn at the outset of her routine, this one would be up to 6.0. If we see her do floor again this year. Grumble grumble.
Grace Mccallum – 5.8
| GRACE MCCALLUM |
|
| Silivas (H) | |
| Front layout (B) + Front 2/1 (D) + Front tuck (A) = 0.2 CV |
|
| Switch ring leap (C) | |
| Frolova (C) | |
| Mitchell (E) | |
| Mukhina (E) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Double tuck (D) | |
| Acro – HEDD – 2.1 | |
| Dance – EDCC – 1.5 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.2 | |
| Attempted D – 5.8 | |
McCallum would have received 5.7 for this routine in normal circumstances (in this instance at Classic the domestic stick bonus got her to 5.8), but she’s attempting a 5.8 here, which puts her just ahead of the bevy of people this year we’ve seen attempt 5.7—a list that includes Fragapance, MDJDS, Lee, Di Cello and a bunch more routines that didn’t quite make the cut.
Lilia Akhaimova – 5.8
| LILIA AKHAIMOVA |
|
| Double layout (F) | |
| Dos Santos (F) | |
| Double L turn (D) | |
| Double Arabian (E) | |
| Mitchell (E) | |
| Mukhina (E) | |
| Switch leap (B) | |
| Split leap full (C) | |
| Wolf turn double (D) | |
| Acro – FFEE – 2.2 | |
| Dance – EDDC – 1.6 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.0 | |
| Total D – 5.8 | |
Akhaimova is the only person on the list not attempting either a Silivas or a double layout 1/1, though she does have two F elements, including being the only person on the list to perform the criminally undervalued (compared to back tumbling elements) Dos Santos.
Denisa Golgota – 5.8
| DENISA GOLGOTA |
|
| Silivas (H) | |
| Double Arabian (E) | |
| Split leap 1.5 (D) | |
| Leg-up double turn (D) | |
| Mukhina (E) | |
| Wolf turn double (D) | |
| Switch ring (C) | |
| Switch leap full (D) | |
| Double tuck (D) | |
| Acro – HEED – 2.2 | |
| Dance – DDDD – 1.6 | |
| Composition – 2.0 | |
| Connection value – 0.0 | |
| Total D – 5.8 | |
When Golgota gets everything as she did here, including that switch leap full—note that the US domestic routines included here are the only ones that experienced dance element downgrades, so watch for that at worlds—she’s looking at a 5.8.
Note that even in some of the most difficult floor routines, athletes are counting C elements, which we don’t really see from the highest-scoring bars and beam routines, where it’s unusual to see such a paltry skill included. Only Golgota and Melnikova are aiming to count all skills of D value or higher. Everyone else has to throw in a fifth acro or fourth dance skill at C.