I'm covering the 2012 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships this weekend at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, GA.
Thursday was an open practice and the media ws allowed access to all the events as the teams practiced. We could get up close with the bars, and the beam, sit right behind the vault and just about stand on the mats for the floor exercise.
The vault amazes me. Gymnasts runs at record speeds down a runway and either cartwheel or fling themselves off a vault into the air and then try to stick a landing. There are so many moving body parts here it is hard to believe they don't get injured every time they make an attempt.
Here are some pics from different positions arounf the vault.
They concentrate and prepare for the run up to the vault
Moving at fast speeds
Good luck!