The Vault
The vault is an event done by both men and women. There is no music for either men or women.
Both men and women use the same vault, except that the women vault over it sideways, and the men vault over it the long way. For women, the vault is 4 1/2 feet high, and for men, the vault is 5 1/2 feet high. Women are allowed 78 feet to run, and men are allowed 65 feet.
The object of the event is the same for both men and women. Gymnasts run, jump off a beat board or spring board, and do a difficult skill touching the vault. The spring board can be different distances away from the vault, depending on the gymnast, and the difficulty of the skill. Women get two tries, and their final score is the best mark out of the two. Men only get one try. However, in the finals for both men and women, the gymnasts get two vaults, and their scores are averaged, to form a final mark.
Back to Women's gymnastics
