As an addendum to my flitting, meadow-based prance through the new Code of Points, it’s time to take a closer look at beam. Here, I’ve selected a few example routines from major beam players in 2016 (chosen for definitely important reasons and absolutely not just because they were the easiest to find on youtube). Below each routine is a comparison of what the intended D score was in 2016 to what the D score would be for the same routine under the 2017-2020 code.

It’s a way of starting to become comfortable with the new code (and as such, condescending and snarky corrections are most welcome), as well as an opportunity to dissect some of the significant code changes in order to see how beam composition will have to adjust in 2017 to avoid the bigger pitfalls.

Clearly, some gymnasts will have to make more changes than others.

Let’s start with Sanne Wevers’ routine at the 2016 Test Event.

Sanne Wevers
2016	2017
Bhs 1/1 mount – E	Bhs 1/1 mount – E
Double L spin – E	Double L spin – E
Side aerial + side aerial + aerial – D+D+D = 0.3 CV	Side aerial + side aerial + aerial – D+D+D = 0.1 CV
Triple spin – E	Triple spin – E
L spin + single spin + double spin – C+A+D = 0.2 CV	L spin + single spin + double spin – C+A+D = 0.2 CV
Switch split + bhs 1/1 – C+D = 0.1 CV	Switch split + bhs 1/1 – C+D = 0.1 CV
Gainer layout dismount – D	Gainer layout dismount – C
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – EDDDD – 2.1	Acro – EDDDC – 2.0
Dance – EED – 1.4	Dance – EED – 1.4
CV – 0.6	CV – 0.4
Total D – 6.6	Total D – 5.8

The D score for this particular routine would decrease by 0.8 in 2017, with two significant obstacles emerging. The main one is the elimination of the 0.1 CV for non-rebounding D+D connections, something Wevers was taking advantage of twice in that side aerial + side aerial + aerial walkover combination. She would still receive the 0.1 series bonus, but not the extra 0.2 for connecting the individual D skills.

The other is the dismount. At the Olympics, Wevers upgraded her dismount to a gainer “layout” full, which is a D value in the new code, but her Test Event routine highlights the problem for those still performing the regular gainer layout. The gainer layout is now a C, yet in the above routine, Wevers would still have to count it among her 8 skills—in place of the D-valued bhs 1/1—because it’s the dismount. As in the previous code, the dismount must be counted.

And that, children, is how the WTC eliminates unwanted skills.

It’ll be interesting to see what those who were relying on non-rebounding combinations do in the next quad: do they give in and go for rebounding acro, or just add more spin combinations?

Speaking of non-rebounding, how’s Aliya doing?

Let’s take one of Mustafina’s good ones, where she got credit for an acro series, to see how the changes would affect her.

Aliya Mustafina
2016	2017
Double spin – D	Double spin – D
Split leap + sissone + side somi – A+A+D = 0.1 CV	Split leap + sissone + side somi – B+A+D
Switch 1/2 + onodi – D+D = 0.2 CV	Switch 1/2 + onodi – D+D = 0.2 CV
Side aerial – D	Side aerial – D
Aerial + aerial + bhs – D+D+B = 0.2 CV	Aerial + aerial + bhs – D+D+B = 0.1 CV
Switch ring – E	Switch ring – E
Round-off + double tuck – B+D	Round-off + double tuck – B+D
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – DDDDD – 2.0	Acro – DDDDD – 2.0
Dance – EDD – 1.3	Dance – EDD – 1.3
CV – 0.5	CV – 0.3
Total D – 6.3	Total D – 5.6

Aliya would lose 0.7 overall for this routine: the 0.5 CR, 0.1 for the sissone + side somi (since D acro + A dance no longer gets connection value—all of those A dance elements will be replaced with split jumps in the next quad since that’s a B now…………….), and 0.1 for the two aerial walkovers combination, running into the same problem that Wevers does.

As far as I can tell, non-rebounding acro will still be allowed to fulfill the 0.5 CR for an “acro series,” so if Aliya does decide to keep going, the Legend of Aliya and the Acro Series might live on, and on, and on.

I actually thought the new code would be worse for Aliya’s routine composition, but she doesn’t lose all that much and could adjust around the new regulations pretty simply and comfortably.

Now, let’s address the winner of the new beam code, Simone Biles. Obviously.

Simone Biles
2016	2017
Wolf spin 2.5 – E	Wolf spin 2.5 – D
Barani – a fantasy mystery	Barani – probably definitely F now?
Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV	Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV
Punch front + sissone – D+A = 0.1 CV	Punch front + sissone – D+A
Switch split + switch 1/2 + back pike – C+D+C = 0.2 CV	Switch split + switch 1/2 + back pike – C+D+C = 0.3 CV
Aerial + wolf – D+A = 0.1 CV	Aerial + wolf – D+A
Bhs + bhs + full twisting double tuck – B+B+G = 0.1 CV	Bhs + bhs + full twisting double tuck – B+B+G = 0.3 CV
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – GEDDC – 2.3	Acro – GFDDC – 2.4
Dance – EDC – 1.2	Dance – DDC – 1.1
CV – 0.7	CV – 0.8
Total D – 6.7	Total D – 6.3

In the 2017 code, the half turn into back tuck is an F skill instead of an E. Apparently, that is what Simone performs? He says with a question mark? But, then, what is the value of the half-twisting body chuck? (No, I’m literally never letting it go.)

Biles definitely has received F credit for that barani in the past too, but if you want to give her F credit for sure now instead of just sometimes-mostly-ish-in-the-US-probably, then go for it.

Simone’s current routine composition fares very well in the new code. She does drop some tenths (the wolf 2.5 downgrade and D+A elimination take her down a total of 0.3), but critically, she would make that value back in other places without any composition changes.

Switch+switch 1/2+back pike picks up an extra tenth because of the new mixed-series bonus, and the new dismount CV is basically made for her. Without any composition changes at all, her total CV would actually increase.

Laurie Hernandez’s routine is a somewhat different tale.

Note: this video is of her championships routine, but the chart below uses her updated composition from later in the summer because it’s more interesting and more current, with the bhs+bhs+double pike replaced by round-off+double pike, and the lost tenth made up with an additional wolf out of the front tuck.

Laurie Hernandez
2016	2017
Front pike – E	Front pike – E
Aerial + sissone + split – D+A+A = 0.1 CV	Aerial + sissone + split – D+A+A
Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV	Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV
Sheep – D	Sheep – C
Front tuck + wolf – D+A = 0.1 CV	Front tuck + wolf – D+A
Side aerial – D	Side aerial – D
Switch split + switch 1/2 – C+D = 0.1 CV	Switch split + switch 1/2 – C+D = 0.1 CV
Switch ring – E	Switch ring – E
Round-off + double pike – B+E	Round-off + double pike – B+E
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – EEDDD – 2.2	Acro – EEDDD – 2.2
Dance – EDD – 1.3	Dance – EDC – 1.2
CV – 0.5	CV – 0.3
Total D – 6.5	Total D – 5.7

Laurie does not get off the hook quite as easily as Simone. She also loses D+A tenths and another tenth from the downgrade of the sheep (making that skill essentially worthless—time to learn a new D dance element everyone), but unlike Simone, Laurie’s current composition doesn’t make up those tenths anywhere else.

When Laurie returns in the next quad (when), I anticipate that learning a more difficult beam dismount will be a very high priority. Without it, she’s in danger of falling behind. Solely because she doesn’t get dismount CV, she goes from being two tenths behind Simone in 2016 to five tenths behind under the new code.

(We may have wondered about the advisability of Ragan Smith trying to add that Patterson in 2016, but it’s SOOO the 2017 code.)

Let’s talk about Aly.

Aly Raisman
2016	2017
Front pike + wolf – E+A = 0.1 CV	Front pike + wolf – E+A
Bhs + layout – B+E = 0.1 CV	Bhs + layout – B+E = 0.1 CV
Switch split + back tuck – C+C = 0.1 CV	Switch split + back tuck – C+C
Side aerial – D	Side aerial – D
Switch 1/2 – D	Switch 1/2 – D
Front tuck + split – D+A = 0.1 CV	Front tuck + split – D+B = 0.1
L spin + single spin – C+A = 0.1 CV	L spin + single spin – C+A = 0.1 CV
Round-off + Patterson – B+G	Round-off + Patterson – B+G = 0.2 CV
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – GEEDD – 2.5	Acro – GEEDD – 2.5
Dance – DCC – 1.0	Dance – DCC – 1.0
CV – 0.5	CV – 0.5
Total D – 6.5	Total D – 6.0

Parts of the new code are no friend to Raisman, but not all of it. In 2016, Raisman was using a crapload of those random 0.1 CVs to get her D score into the competitive zone and will now have to adjust for their demise in a couple places. In addition to the loss of a D acro + A dance, she won’t get CV for the switch split + back tuck either, a combination that must now include one D element to get bonus.

Like Simone, however, Raisman is saved by the dismount and the additional 0.2 that will come from connecting a round-off to a Patterson.

As alluded to in the code write-up, a Patterson is now worth four tenths more than a double pike: two tenths because of the skill value and two more tenths for the automatic connection. No one is doing a Patterson from standing.

The biggest victim of the new code may be Flavia Saraiva, as best illustrated by her attempted 6.8 difficulty from the Test Event.

Flavia Saraiva
2016	2017
Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV	Bhs + layout stepout + layout stepout – B+C+C = 0.2 CV
Round-off + layout – B+E = 0.1 CV	Round-off + layout – B+E = 0.1 CV
Switch split + split – C+A	Switch split + split – C+A
Switch ring + sheep – E+D = 0.2 CV	Switch ring + sheep – E+C = 0.1 CV
Punch front + wolf – D+A = 0.1 CV	Punch front + wolf – D+A
Aerial + aerial + side somi – D+D+D = 0.3 CV	Aerial + aerial + side somi – D+D+D = 0.1 CV
Round-off + double pike – B+E	Round-off + double pike – B+E
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – EEDDD – 2.2	Acro – EEDDD – 2.2
Dance – EDC – 1.2	Dance – ECC – 1.1
CV – 0.9	CV – 0.5
Total D – 6.8	Total D – 5.8

Saraiva’s routine would drop a full point in the new quad because she basically does every single thing that has been downgraded in the official 2017 NONE FOR FLAVIA BYE Code of Points.

She loses two tenths of non-rebounding connection, another because of D+A, and two more for the downgrade of the sheep jump (one for the skill and one for the combination since it’s no longer D+D, which is required to get two tenths).

Saraiva is fully capable of getting back up there with the top Ds, but she’ll basically want to scrap the second half of this routine and start over.

By contrast, Eythora almost gets Flavia-ed by the new code, but she is saved by her dismount and spins.

Eythora Thorsdottir
2016	2017
Sissone + side aerial + swingdown – A+D+B = 0.1 CV	Sissone + side aerial + swingdown – A+D+B
Split ring + sheep – D+D = 0.2 CV	Split ring + sheep – D+C = 0.1 CV
Illusion – D	Illusion – D
Split leap + aerial – A+D = 0.1 CV	Split leap + aerial – B+D = 0.1 CV
L spin + switch split + Y spin + single spin – C+C+C+A = 0.3 CV	L spin + switch split + Y spin + single spin – C+C+C+A = 0.4 CV
Round-off + triple full – B+F	Round-off + triple full – B+F = 0.2 CV
CR – 2.5	CR – 2.0
Acro – FDD – 1.4	Acro – FDD – 1.4
Dance – DDDCC – 1.8	Dance – DDCCC – 1.7
CV – 0.7	CV – 0.8
Total D – 6.4	Total D – 5.9

The new code is not that happy with Eythora’s composition. It’s not having this sissone + side aerial nonsense or this sheep jump nonsense, but as was pointed out in the comments, the split leap becomes a B in the new code (BECAUSE WHY), so that’s still eligible for connection tenths when paired with D acro.

And yet, the new code saves Eythora like an endangered swan because she has an F dismount, and because the code is still desperately in love with spin combinations.

By my reading of the new series bonus rules, Eythora’s L spin + switch split + Y spin combo would qualify for an additional series-bonus tenth since dance elements can be used now. But we’ll have to see. Are spins definitely part of that?

In general, the most effectively HUGE-D beam routines in the next quad will have F or G dismounts and will also take advantage of three-element mixed dance/acro combinations that can get individual CV as well as a series bonus. So basically Simone’s exact routine.