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(Cross posting from Reddit)
Zhang - Clear Hip to Layout Tkatchev Technical Analysis
The subject of whether or not Zhang Yihan received layout credit for her clear hip to layout Tkatchev during qualifications at Cottbus in 2025 came up in the Yang Fanyuwei / Full Twisting Layout Jaeger thread, and I wanted to provide an analysis of why the competition D panel, and subsequently the WTC would consider the body shape shown to be stretched.
The key principle here is the hollow body shape(also sometimes referred to as dish shape). A hollow is the opposite of having the body arched, with the body forming a concave shape. The head and shoulders are also rounded and held slightly in front of the rest of the body.
- Photo 1: Zhang shows a slight hollow, with the body almost completely straight from head to toe.
- Photo 2: Zhang shows a deeper hollow with the head now in front of her torso, but there is still no pike in her hips.
- Photo 3: Zhang maintains the hollow shape as her feet pass directly over the bar. Her hips do show some pike, but not severe enough to warrant a downgrade. Notice how her hips are only slightly away from the red arrow in the bottom photo.
- Photo 4: Zhang has now traveled completely over the high bar. Notice how rounded her body is, but there is fairly minimal piking in her hips.
Per the 2024 edition of the Help Desk and the 2025 - 2028 judging materials in STS, "A gymnast must maintain stretched (hollow) position passing over the bar, with the feet moving under the hips. As you can see from the images above, Zhang satisfies the criteria and accordingly is awarded layout credit.
