Men Max whitlock is trying to develop an airflare on pommel horse

[Denn]

I think it's not possible.

But I don't have 8 World and Olympic medals on PH. So if he thinks he can do it...

 

[Doug1233]

He's been talking about this for years. I cannot imagine the balls you'd need to try it.

 

[KristyJ]

On his Insta post about it, Steven Nederoscik replied that he was trying to learn one too, but that Max was farther ahead

 

[Angelika]

What value would a skill like this be given?

 

[MaryClare]

What value would a skill like this be given?

C
Regards,
WG (formerly known as FIG)

 

[Denn]

Rewatching the video — I think that it might be possible. The opening sequence on the floor does look it could fit on a straight line.

And that will be worth at LEAST an F for sure, based on the existing structure for upgrading where each of the following gets a letter:
(a) a hop
(b) a full travel
(c) a full pirouette

 

[Sasha]

Can somebody explain what an airflare is, exactly? Is he aiming to do a full 360 rotation without hands?

 

[Denn]

If you look at the very beginning of Max's video, he does 4 in a row — in his case, he does a half turn in the hop and then finishes the full turn on his hands before repeating. The first one is quite straight-line, but the ones after turn a bit more than half + half, causing the circular motion.

I would think that on the horse, Max will have to do it just like at the beginning of his video — half turn hop + half pirouette on the leather. If he came back the other way that would be CRAZY hard.

BTW, there are all kinds of variations that breakers do, such as doing it on the elbows are spinning more in the air before catching. Ignore the bent legs and flexed feet — breakers care less about good form, and actually flexed feet probably is considered cool by most of them.