Tatiana Zharganova Uneven Bars 2003 Worlds Qualifications

Completely random, I know, but what a cool routine!  I think I’ve only seen that double pirouette done one another time, and it was done by mistake.  This one looked intentional by Zharganova, and what made it so special is that she connected it right into a high and beautifully executed Gienger.  Awesome!  It’s unfortunate that no gymnast would dare try this skill under today’s code, as it would be nearly impossible to finish in a handstand and would thus be destroyed from a judging standpoint, but it’s also only a D skill…the same as a 1 ½!

What many probably don’t realize is that Zharganova did make a world or Olympic bar final FOUR other times in her career, though she never reached the medal podium.  She finished 8th in 1999, 5th in 2000, 5th in 2001, and 6th in 2002.  Ironically, I think this 2003 routine was better than any of them, and it missed making the final by 0.013.  Had she been a world medalist heading into Anaheim or perhaps simply carried a different flag behind her name, I think that score would have been a little higher.

Here’s a tribute to this innovative and perhaps underappreciated gymnast, with a look at some of her other routines from world and Olympic competition:

Tatiana Zharganova Uneven Bars 2000 Olympics Event Finals

Tatiana Zharganova Uneven Bars 2001 Worlds Event Finals

Tatiana Zharganova Uneven Bars 2002 Worlds Semi-Finals