The Unparalleled Style of Danell Leyva
Universal Gymnastics in Miami is as much a launching pad for Olympic dreams as it is a cathedral to its homegrown star, Danell Leyva. So with all eyes on him at his gym, we asked the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist to show us his gold-winning World Championship routine on the parallel bars.
The Peach Basket
1. The first move I start the routine with is a Peach Basket. It's not a high-difficulty skill, but it still gives you a good amount of points. The little details that go through my head when I'm performing each skill is tight legs, tight elbows, butt tight. Depending on the skill, I try to find the right tap, the right position of where my body has to be. It is very dependent on the skill that I'm doing, but mostly it's always toes together, feet together, tight body. (Click arrow in image to see next move.)
The Peach Basket
2. Since I start the move from the ground, I have to jump at a certain angle with my arms completely straightforward. But I have to jump up above the horizontal so I can create that speed and have that momentum to be able to finish the skill in the spot that I want to finish it in, which is a headstand with my arms straight, all the while trying to make it seem as effortless as possible.
The Peach Basket
3. As I'm jumping up, my legs obviously have to stay as tight as possible. I have to kick my toes up so my body can be in a pike position. Your core is basically always engaged. With a lot of these skills, it's second nature to have every single muscle of your body as tight as possible.
The Peach Basket
4. After I pick my legs up, I have to push back with my arms and let my body swing at its most extended position so I can create that specific amount of momentum and speed. That makes everything a little bit easier because either way there's a certain amount of push you have to do with your arms going upward above your head so you can end up in the proper handstand without any extra movement forward or backward.
The Peach Basket
5. You have to make sure that your body is rotating at a certain angle so that you can shoot out straight to the headstand -- otherwise you would have to bend your arms, and that's not ideal in gymnastics. The point is to try and keep your arms as straight as possible.
The Peach Basket
6. Here I'm extending the handstand as much as I can. I always try and stay as square as possible so each skill comes out looking as effortless as it seems. Bending your elbows would definitely be tenths off: It's a mistake. Hand adjustments -- moving your hands before any skill -- that's considered a mistake. Separating your legs or bending your legs. Breaking body form -- like arching your back or piking too much in the handstand -- you have to stay as straight as possible.
The Giant
1. With the Giant, you start at a handstand and then you drop your body down completely through the bottom of the bars. When I'm in the handstand, I look straight down at the mat and I kind of stay looking at that point while I'm dropping. (Click arrow in image to see next move.)
The Giant
2. You're allowed to bend your legs at this point just because you need to make sure you don't hit the floor. If your feet touch the floor in one of the skills, that's always a deduction.
The Giant
3. So you have to bend your legs and stay as tight as possible. After I pass the bottom, I look straight forward and I wait until my toes pass that point, and after I see my toes pass that point, that's when I initiate the turn.
The Giant
4. Once you pass the horizontal at this point, you have to think about spinning on one arm -- depends on which arm you feel comfortable with -- and try to stay as on-axis as possible with your body. You also have to find that second rail again without moving.
The Giant
5. Toward the middle of the skill right before I start to turn, I try and think of slowing down so I don't overpower the skill. Then I try to think of tightening my grip on the one hand that is holding onto the bar so my turn is in control -- and then obviously grabbing the other bar and staying as solid as possible.
The Giant
6. And then after that, I just look at that point on the mat again when I'm back in the handstand. Common mistakes would be overpowering -- just kicking over way too much and ending up in a hollowed position/pike position or being forced to make hand adjustments, so you don't fall from the handstand. Opening your legs in the middle of the turn on top, falling, underpowering the skill and coming up too short and having to arch and again, moving your arms and your hands.
Setup of the Dismount
1. The dismount is really just the swing to the double front off to the side. But the reason why I do this windup right before the dismount is because you are not allowed to do what is considered an extra swing. If I'm in the handstand I can't just swing my body down with my arms straight forward and try to do a dismount from there because it's considered an extra swing which is obviously a deduction. (Click arrow in image to see next move.)
Setup of the Dismount
2. It's kind of like a pushup. That's just the best way to get into the forward swing on parallel bars without actually swinging your body down with your arms straight. That's just the best way and the safest way.
Setup of the Dismount
3. So you have to do what is considered a gymnastics skill, even if it's worth nothing essentially. You have to do something that looks like a gymnastics skill, which is why I drop to my upper arms and do this swing forward.
Setup of the Dismount
4. There are a lot of skills that end up with your legs in front of you, but it doesn't help you generate as much momentum and swing and push off the bar as this one does.
Setup of the Dismount
5. After that, your legs have to go up at a specific point so you can generate that speed and have that push to do the double front flip successfully.
Setup of the Dismount
6. At this point I have my body and legs in the position I want, so I can give the right swing, the right speed and the right push so that I can pop off the bar and have a successful two flips in the air right before the landing.
The Dismount
1. In the dismount, for me personally, in this forward dismount, I have to make sure I swing backward at a certain angle and that my arms are tight and that I push at the right moment so I can have height, flip and speed and then also time in the air to spot the landing and stick that landing. The judges look for knees together in the double front flipping, so you just have to make sure you flip as fast as you can so you can have more time in the air to spot the floor and see how high up or low you are so you can stick. (Click arrow in image to see next move.)
The Dismount
2. Try to be as square as possible -- as straight up and down as possible -- because if you're off to the side when you land, you're not going to have a good time. And like I said, just think about pointing your toes and staying tight everywhere.
The Dismount
3. There are focal points even when I'm in the air suspended on the dismount. I look at the floor before I begin each flip. As soon as I push off the bar, I look at the floor.
The Dismount
4. I do the one flip and see the floor again. And then I do the second flip and I can already see the floor -- that way I know exactly how I'm going to land and whether I'm going to stick the landing. Height and speed is very important because it buys you more time. But when you're up there, you don't have time to think about all that stuff; you don't have time to explain anything to yourself. It's mostly just like a feel thing.
The Dismount
5. Sticking the landing depends on how high the flip is, how much power you have, how much control you have of your legs and where your body is. Your arms have to be at a specific point to make everything easier for you. You can't be too squatted because that's a deduction as well; your chest can't be too far down because that's also a deduction. If your legs are too wide, that's also a deduction. There are a lot of subjective things, but it's what counts in gymnastics.
The Dismount
6. The best way to land is with your feet not too wide apart -- but also not too close just to give yourself a little wiggle room, with your knees at around a 90-degree bend. Your chest just a little bit forward to counterbalance any movement. Your arms kind of horizontal and off to the side a little bit just for balance as well -- and that's usually the best way to stick any skill no matter what.
