Zhou Yaqin (CHN) 7.2 D-Score! Hardest Balance Beam Routine in the World! 

What's even more exciting than a 7.2 D score is her precise and near-flawless execution.

She’s so elegant on the beam! The balletic training is evident. The artistry is on point, and OMG this young lady is MINING THE CODE for difficulty So awesome! 🎉🎉

It's going to be an exciting Olympics, especially event finals. Much as I love Simone's gymnastics, it is great to see other people from around the world coming up with high difficulty and beautiful execution. Zhou and Nemour for example will be so exciting to watch.

Difficult, elegant and graceful. Nothing but respect (esp. since I sometimes have trouble just walking on the FLOOR) 🤣

That side somi to tuck jump and straight jump is EVERYTHING and she makes it look simple! I look forward to seeing this routine again in Paris!

Holy cow, this is so smooth, like no fumbling whatsoever 🤗

How!? I was screaming through the entire routine. Absolutely amazing!

Wow, she has exactly the amount of momentum she needs for each skill, no more, no less. So there's no overbalancing and everything flows. Beautiful!

Wow. Incredible . This will be hard to beat

That is the most beautiful routine ive ever seen in my life!! Wow

Bummer on the dismount, but dang ~ not even a bobble or balance check! 🔥🔥🔥

Absolutely gorgeous routine. She also makes it look very artistic and flowing!

Ok WHAT THE HECK this is crazily underrated, insane difficulty and phenomenal execution on literally every skill, world class and super fluid connections, especially the switch 1/2 to Korbut.

I miss Yang Bo‘s Leap on the beam. Her legs were straight, so graceful like a ballerina.

Most entertaining and beautiful beam I have ever seen! She's fantastic!

If she hits her routine like this, even with that big step on the dismount, she will win regardless how well anyone else does 😅

Wow. Talk about PRECISION! She's amazing!

All the positive adjectives thrown at this beam routine. That was so satisfying to watch.

Incredible, so well connected. Your annotations are also very helpful for beginner watchers too. Thank you!

that is an amazing routine! hope she hits all the connections in the olympics. worthy of gold medal

Flawless, elegant, smooth. A beauty to watch

Her execution is amazing!!! Only the wolf jump and the dismount were less than stellar. I love Sanne’s routines so of course I really liked the turns in this routine!

Fascinating! She's like doing twice even thrice other gymnasts do on balance beam! Very well done!

I think the beam is just an illusion for her---she's really on a perfectly flat wide floor!

I think regardless of D score, the one who is consistent on the day of the event will win. The problem with connections is if you miss then you’ll lose more points whether it be D or E.

Can she beat Simone on beam? That's an unequivocal yes. Will she? That is what remains to be seen!

Switch ring was gorgeous!

I love her arm movements 😊

This is what I love about gymnastics! There are so many ways to display difficulty. It's the Nastia VS Shawn scenario. Two incredible gymnasts with wildly different skill sets. It leads to enjoyable match ups, sparks conversations (gets a few people butt hurt 🤭) and I think that's amazing! Watching the same basic routine over and over again is dull and lack luster. It's like the vaulting rotation of the all arounds. Simone does her incredible insanity, then 25 DTYs and one rudy. 😴 I want to see more specialists and unique routines! Come on, fig! Let's change up some rules!

I really enjoy her dance moves, including full twisting jumps, and wish her a long competitive career. She's very talented!

She is the queen of connections, so let's get plenty of bonus from these ! This is a great routine construction for her, as long as she is precise like this, she is the best.

She's a beautiful beam worker.

So nice to watch !!

I love the side somi-leap combo. Very unique!

She has lovely rhythm on the beam. Exquisite , interesting and quite reminds me of all the historically outstanding Chinese beam athletes.

The form on the BHS at 1:47 is so stunning!

Nice combinations.

Looks like she is performing on the group not a little beam. Amazing

Omg I’m so excited for beam!!! Personally I like Zhou, Suni, Simone, and Qiu, but i’m rooting for anybody to win really!!

Stunning. The Chinese are great on beam but one thing that they usually lack especially now in days is a good rhythm. They always pause pretty obviously before s big skill..which is most of them . And yes , it pays off their x os out of this world. But , that is the only thing wrong . Beautiful

Love it! Pointed toes every time!

the absolute favorite

Zhao is so tiny she makes the beam look extra long !! And what a marvellous routine. It will quite a showdown at Paris '24 !!

This routine is incredible. Dare I say? The best.😊

That routine was absolutely stunning! Does anyone know what she scored?

Splendor

What precision!

Anyone else scream "ouch" at Korbut?

It's very beautiful but she isn't going to get credit for some of it. Like the side Somi into tuck jump full into straight jump full. She'll get credit for linking the jumps but there was too much of a pause after the side Somi. It's truly hard to link a side skill out of a side Somi beause the the sheer nature of the landing being in a bent leg.

Flawless on the beam.

Love her🎉

Wow. That was so pretty

Muito forte mesmo , se acertar é ouro certo, primeiro que a Simone não pretende aumentar a dificuldade da trave dela, afinal já é uma das mais difíceis do mundo, segundo que qualquer 8 que ela tire em execução já vai pra casa dos 15

In Portuguese-Brazil we say “babado!!!”

wow

Wow! I never saw this befoe

❤ WOW!!!

IF she hits like that, she is olympic champion without a doubt but that’s a huge if :(

I agree Zhou Yaqin's balance beam is spectacular and her ballet alignment and flexibility is beautiful to watch. Must remember that Simone downgraded her balance beam in 2020 and earned the bronze medal in that event.

Isnt the first connection a front walkover into a front flip...asking bec someone said a aerial walkover but it looks like a front walkover to me?

Connect 4. Wow.

It’s okay to have difficult moves or harder tricks in a routine but, it’s called a balance beam for a reason. This routine is everything a judge should be looking for Execution, Elegance, Gracefulness, with the WOW !!! Factor.

As chinesas estão investindo bastante em dificuldade, também tem uma com D na casa dos 7,2 na paralela, agora resta saber o que farão com salto e solo pós esses aparelhos tiram elas do pódio nos últimos anos, é até difícil de acreditar que China não levou nem bronze por equipes

Wow🎉..

I especially love her beautifully pointed feet I never see that in Simone's routines, difficult as they are.

Does anyone know what her score was for this exercise?

What does S.B. Mean?

The one who is the cleanest with fewest deductions that day will win ;-) lol

She has better balance on the beam than me in the floor

Is there not a more graceful way for her to get back to her feet? Seemed out of place with the rest of the routine.

As an American, I’m team red, white, and blue, but I cannot wait to see the Chinese women as well.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Can't imagine China not having a good gymnast.

E na hora de julgar, os jurados dão 8 na execução dessa rainha! que odio.

If she had a more interesting mount it would be like nastia liukin days!

Is it safe to land on the pelvis like that? She's amazing. Just wondering if that has an impact on gymnasts' bodies later. I know the Russians used to do that skill. Not sure if those girls went on to have kids later in life.

My only criticism of ZYQ is that her choreo is awful and her connections are just a little slow.

I love Simone, however its time for other great gymnasts to be in the spotlight.

Simone Biles always looks like she is having fun and makes it look so easy. Yes, this gymnastic did some difficult moves, but it looked like it was challenging her. But I do wish all the gymnastics at the Paris Olympics, all the best!

Beautiful and unique routine, but unfortunately her execution will take a hammering from those non-choreographed steps and pauses.

Omg, those movemets, Looks like not a real human to me doesnt seem she ever went out of balance as you can see on her hands. Its like an android robot😅

The coach screaming at her is so distracting. Makes me feel bad for her having to deal with that.

Too bad she has such a simple mount compared to Sunisa Lee's.

Amazing

AI

So smooth and ballet-like. I wish our girls were more like that. But can she ice Simone? I doubt it. Can’t wait!

AI or not to AI . . not even Shakespeare . . 🤷‍♀️

Gold Zhou, silver Qiu and bronze Biles, I guess.

Not surprised if others win Gold for this event. BB isnt really Biles’ focus area or perhaps an event she likes most, just enough for her to be among the top scorers that helps her aa a formidable champion in AA

That was maybe the most beautiful beam routine ive ever seen

robot

What does she have to do to beat Rebecca Andrade, who apparently won the bb gold medal at the 2023 world championships? Let us see Andrade's bb routine. Z. Yaquin isn't achieving precise position on her ring leaps,thus, creating areas of deduction for the judges. They took every deduction. Her turn combo is a big strength. Her coach is working the code. Imo acrobatic elements are more complex than leaps except for this routine. Her coach is amazing too.

Yang Bo was better!!!

Very smooth routine but she doesn’t have enough to bear simone on beam in my view

Vai tratorar a Biles na trave se continuar assim

Her switch ring leap should be downgraded, her foot never gets close to the crown of her head

I don't like her routine at all There were a lot of pauses in between the elements but she got the points fir connection values when they were not connected. Her legs were bent in some moves (e.g. the cartwheels). It was just a very ugly routine with little flow to earn points.

I think China will be gold all over this year. Our girls don't have enough difficulty or form

I never understood why there is so much hype about American gymnasts when there are way more talented and elegant gymnast elsewhere in the world. Also, Asian gymnasts are so elegant and slim. American gymnasts are so muscular and bulky these days that I find it a pain to watch esp when they do the beam. . They just land so hard.

Most likely will choke at the Olympics.