Event
Balance beam

Skill type
Turn

Known as
Scorpion turn
Preziosa
Ring turn

Value
D

Named after
Elisabetta Preziosa (ITA) – 2010

About
Elisabetta Preziosa first performed the scorpion turn at a naming-eligible competition in qualification at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam and continued performing it for several years after.

The scorpion turn is among the more…believable?…of the animal-named elements in gymnastics. You can see it. When the back leg is up during the turn, it kind of looks like a scorpion tail when it’s all curled and ominous. I guess? I’ll go on that journey with you.

In a sign of its difficulty, the Preziosa is a single rotation turn rewarded with a whopping D (0.4) value and yet is not commonly attempted at all. No one thinks that is worth it.