Aurelia Dobre 1987 World Championship AA Vault

[3Axel1996]

Commentator misspoke.  Aurelia was only 14 when she won the title here.

[b1warwick]

@3Axel1996 He didn't make a mistake. Officially she was 15, the Romanian government said so.

[eugvh18]

this vault is so amazing, the form, it all down pack to desire a 10.00, Aurelia is truly a great gymnast, she is will known around the world for her looks and style in the sport of gymnastics. Aceasta Bolta este asa uluitor, de forma, nu toate jos ranita la dorinta unui 10,00, Aurelia este cu adevarat o mare sportiva, ea va este cunoscut in intreaga lume pentru ea arata si stilul in sportul de gimnastica

[cam2540]

I don't think Nastia looked starved! I think these girls all looked anorexic! You can see their ribs!

[bbhouk1]

oh my flipping god pause at 0:15 she looks DISGUSTINGLY skinny

[bbhouk1]

this vault was not really deserving of a ten, not even by the that code.

I'm glad she won though.

:) :)

[huntasoup]

Truly perfect, I have never seen such a wonderful vault.

[hunter7286]

Beautiful vault-well deserved 10.0.

[ScorpionallstarFlyer]

LOVE HER!

[lostlyrarose]

I think even today that should get a 10.0 for execution. I think the judging is too unrealistic on the technical side now. Even Nastia in the olympics stuck a beautiful vault in the AA, with great form, and I think her mark was 9.5 out of 10.00

[88chalky88]

Without sounding like a creep, she really did have the most beautiful GYMNASTIC body. Along with Silivas, Dudnik and Omelianchik... they were:

*Short, but NOT stubby.

*Very thin, but NOT lanky.

*Muscular, but NOT manly.

There are actually not that many gymnasts with this "ideal" body type at the TOP of gymnastics today - really just the Chinese girls, and a couple of young Russians and Romanians.

[selezkova]

Totally agree. Dobre has the most beautiful figure and body posture.

I'd like to add Comaneci, too

[yellowbanana104]

Yeah, that is the body type I like most for gymnasts. Nastia, Khorkina and Yang Yilin are too tall that they look anorexic. Shawn Johnson and some gymnasts is too muscular that they are like doing men's gymnastics. In the 1980s, the gymnasts' body lines are pleasant to watch. They really suit the moves.

[JohnPhilipSousa519]

It's not Shawn's fault that she is really muscular. It's how her body grew. What makes gymnasts like Aurelia better than ones like Shawn or Sam Peszek? They can be just as talented, or more.

[yellowbanana104]

I see your point. Yes, the muscular gymnasts can be very talented and perform a lot of tough skills and win many medals. They are indeed very delightful to watch. They give you surprises. But my point is, the body type which is not too tall and thin or not too muscular is more pleasant to watch. The whole body shape is just perfect and those gymnasts perform moves as if they are very easy. You can just feel that they are enjoying their routines but not trying very hard to hit every moves.

[JohnPhilipSousa519]

I agree wholeheartedly with your statement that gymnasts like Khorkina and Nastia look anorexic. They just don't make some of the skills look natural, almost as if they are straining themselves. I understand what you are saying about the gymansts like Dobre who are in the middle bodywise. They are not going for all out difficulty, but form and precision. Personally, I like to watch the power gymnasts more.

[yellowbanana104]

Oh so you must be fond of the American gymnasts. Many are very powerful and can perform a lot of E and F and G elements. In fact, I love to watch all the types of gymnastics, but I think that today's gymnasts are either too tall and thin or too muscular. There's almost no one in the middle bodywise, except a few new seniors and the juniors. We need more of this perfect bodytype in gymnastics. It has almost extinct. It is such a shame that today's gym fans can't have the chance to see its beauty.

[JohnPhilipSousa519]

I love American gymnasts. I must admit that they lack the grace and dance of other countries, but I still love some of their choreography, especially Courtney Kupets, Alicia Sacramone, and Chellsie Memmel. I don't know what it is about the US that produces power gymnasts. Maybe Marta favors ones that have more difficult routines. But whatever it is, the US needs more bar workers like Nastia or Chellsie. They might have a less powerful yet not willowy build.

[yellowbanana104]

You are absolutely right! I discover that US gymnasts are great on vault, beam and floor, but they tend to be weaker on bars. Maybe it is because on bars, power is not the most important concern. You have to have excellent form in order to be a good bar worker. Legs separation, crossing legs and bend arms or knees are not acceptable. The Chinese are better in training bar workers because they work on their forms and connections with turns. If u can do 3 turns to a release, u can get many bonus.

[JohnPhilipSousa519]

From 2002 to 2008, the US medaled every year on bars at Worlds or the Olympics. There's Courtney Kupets, Chellsie, Hollie Vise, Terin Humphrey, and Nastia. But it has been Nastia for the past three or four years that has medaled. Yes, the power gymnasts do not do so well on bars. Look at Shawn, Sam, and many others. Alicia is too scared, and maybe powerful, to do them. But the Chinese are just incredible at bars! Pang Panpan at 2006 worlds had an incredible routine that flowed so well.

[morenodelaorilla]

wow, she is beautiful, beautiful movements too. so smooth, kinda reminds me Nadia.

[fr3ckles]

Definitely not a 10, but a bbeeeauuutiful vault! love her

[gymnasticsaddiction1]

hmmm some what but nadia was heaps better, just no one understood nadia, due to her hidden personality, in actual fact she is an amazing person, soo much more i could say... only 319 letters left, 302, 299

[molly2222]

The example of perfection!!

[tomsk14]

Definitely....Agree.....

[TuesdayPillow]

Besides the split legs on contact it really is a textbook vault.

[lepetitpoulet]

that vault is relatively easy, HOWEVER the way it is performed here is purely exquisite. Beautiful!

[gymnasticsforever17]

I believe this is the first time anyone ever did a laid out yurchenko...

[pinkymonero]

No way! At the same comp Svetlana Baitova was doing layout with double twist. I don't know when the first layout was.

[gymnasticsforever17]

I just listened to it in Gymnastics Greatest Stars....if you dont beliueve me listen for it in part 7 of the gymnastics greatest stars

[SilivasGold]

it's not a matter of believing you or not--I'm sure they probably did say that, they just happen to be very wrong.

[expelliarmus1234]

oh then, yurchenko double twist must have been named after her!

[mmoran3]

nooo natalia yurchenko did the first round off vault but they all took if from there

[mmoran3]

natalia yurechenko look it up  they were doing it for 5 years before

[expelliarmus1234]

oops, i think i'm wrong..

i don't think she did the DOUBLE TWISTING YURCHENKO first..

btw, what my point is that if the 5/2 was named Amanar then the 3/2 and 2/1 must also be named after someone else..:)

[bbhouk1]

@pinkymonero olga mostepanova was doing one in 84

[ooplopoo]

yeah, thats not true, not even a little bit.

[TuesdayPillow]

Shushonova was one of the first to do layout Yurchenkos with a full twist. Check out the 1985 Worlds - she does one there. As for the Double Twister, it is named after Baitova.

[stpark22]

@gymnasticsforever17 Natalia Yurchenko (from the former Soviet Union) unveiled this vault in 1982. That's why it called a Yurchenko. She did it a tucked position

[Kingers41]

I simply refuse to believe that it is possible to better this. She just glides up and nails it. Aurelia was absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for the memories!

[KarenLovesGymnastics]

I think that Natalia Laschenova had the best Yurchenko full. =) Aurelia is a close second.

[Jnth007]

this is the true meaning of the word PERFECT. Unbelivable!