In artistic gymnastics, there is no upper limit or cap to the difficulty score a gymnast can achieve. This open-ended system, introduced in 2006, allows athletes to continuously push the boundaries of the sport by performing increasingly complex skills.
The Open-Ended Scoring System
Before 2006, gymnastics utilized a "Perfect 10" scoring system. However, to encourage innovation and higher skill development, the sport transitioned to an open-ended scoring model. This system divides a gymnast's total score into two main components:
- Execution Score (E-Score): This score starts from a perfect 10.0 and deductions are made for errors in form, artistry, technique, and landing.
- Difficulty Score (D-Score): This score has no maximum limit and reflects the intrinsic value and complexity of the elements performed.
Understanding the Difficulty Score (D-Score)
The D-Score is a cumulative total based on several factors, all designed to reward gymnasts for executing challenging routines.
Element Values
Individual elements (skills) performed on apparatus like bars, beam, and floor are assigned a specific difficulty value. These values are graded alphabetically from A to J, with A being the easiest and J being the most difficult. Each letter corresponds to a specific point value:
| Difficulty Grade | Point Value | Example (Women's Artistic Gymnastics) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 0.1 | Forward roll (Beam) |
| B | 0.2 | Back hip circle (Bars) |
| C | 0.3 | Clear hip circle (Bars) |
| D | 0.4 | Double back handspring (Floor) |
| E | 0.5 | Piked Tkatchev (Bars) |
| F | 0.6 | Full-twisting double layout (Floor) |
| G | 0.7 | Triple full (Floor) |
| H | 0.8 | Biles II (Floor - triple-double) |
| I | 0.9 | Liukin (Bars - in-bar full-in) |
| J | 1.0 | (Extremely rare, cutting-edge skills) |
Note: The specific point values for each letter grade are determined by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Code of Points, which is updated periodically.
Components of the D-Score
A gymnast's D-Score is calculated by combining points from various categories:
- Top 8 (or 10) Difficulty Elements: On most apparatus, gymnasts count their 8 (or 10, depending on the apparatus and specific rules) highest-value elements.
- Connection Value: Additional points are awarded for successfully linking two or more difficult elements together without pauses or extra steps. For example, a back handspring directly into a back layout on beam.
- Composition Requirements (CR): Points are given for fulfilling specific requirements for each apparatus, such as performing elements from different "element groups" (e.g., turns, leaps, acrobatic series on floor).
- Dismount Value: The difficulty of the dismount also contributes to the D-Score.
How Gymnasts Increase Difficulty
To achieve higher difficulty scores, gymnasts focus on:
- Learning more complex skills: Mastering elements rated D, E, F, and higher.
- Performing more high-value connections: Linking challenging skills together to earn bonus points.
- Developing unique skills: Some gymnasts innovate and perform skills so novel they are named after them, often receiving very high difficulty values.
- Consistency: While not directly adding to the D-score, consistency allows gymnasts to perform their intended difficult routines without falling or major errors, which would incur E-score deductions.
The open-ended nature of the difficulty score ensures that the sport of gymnastics continues to evolve, with athletes constantly striving to achieve feats of strength, agility, and artistry that were once considered impossible.
