Event
Uneven Bars

Skill type
Pirouette/Circle

Known as
Straddle circle forward (L-grip)
Clear straddle forward (L-grip)

About
Different from the Stalder elements, which begin in handstand and end in handstand, the straddle circles begin and end in straddle support on top of the bar and are therefore considerably simpler and reflect an earlier level of gymnastics. These straddle circles still exist in the code, but are all A elements and are nearly never seen in modern gymnastics, where even a giant circle is a B, so an A is essentially pointless.

This skill in particular is a prime illustration that these skills are a total afterthought because doing this element forward in L-grip is significantly more difficult than the other variations, and yet it’s still an A.

Value
A