Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport which mixes dance, artistry, flexibility and originality. Original elementa can be executed with an apparatus, showing off handling tricks or just using the body. Some of them were included in the code of points with the name of the gymnast such as Utyasheva’s flexibility element. One of the gymnasts that included a lot of originalities in early 2000’s was Russian Alina Kabaeva, 1st place at Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Backscale Pivot

This technic element was performed by Alina Kabaeva for the first time but most of the Russian Team included it in their programmes: Olga Kapranova, Yana Lukonina, Vera Sessina, Zarina Gizikova…

Nowadays this element is not as popular as it was but it is still performed by Natalia García (ESP) and Anastasiya Serdyukova (UZB)

Anastasiya Serdyukova (UZB)

Photo Copyright Bernd Thierolf

Utyasheva’s element

This extremely difficult element was only performed by Russian gymnast Lyasan Utyasheva who retired almost at the beggining of her international career due to a serious foot injury

Cosak’s Jump

Inna Zhukova from Belarus and Silver medallist in Beijing 2008,  always included this element in her routines.

Bessonova’s Swan

This is one of the most elegant originalities with an apparatus: moving the hoop with the foot while doing a technical element.

Margarita Mamun’s originality

She is executing this element for so many years.

Spinning ball on a finger

Maria Titova, Christalleni Trikomiti and Yana Kudryavtseva can spin a ball on a finger for more than 5 seconds. Kudryavtseva’s element was one of the most amazing in the last year.

Ring element – unstable apparatus

This element was performed by Alina Kabaeva since 2001 and had a lot of controversy about it because of her execution.

Catch out of field of view