‘Produnova’, The ‘Vault Of Death’; Only 5 Women Have Nailed It

The vault is considered as the most high risk manoeuvre, only five gymnasts till now have successfully executed it.

The only five gymnasts till now who have successfully executed the extremely difficult Produnova. (Photo Modified by The Quint)

The Produnova is a part of artistic Gymnastics.

It is named after Yelena Produnova of Russia, who was the first person to compete it successfully in 1999.

The vault is considered as the most high risk manoeuver. Many have called for it to be banned.

Produnova sees an athlete sprint and catapult into the air, completing two somersaults before landing on their feet safely.

Only five gymnasts till now have successfully executed the extremely difficult Produnova.

• The Produnova vault:
  
• It consists of a front handspring onto the vaulting horse, two front somersaults off.
  
• The vault currently has a 7.0 D-score.
  
• It is the hardest vault performed in women’s artistic gymnastics.

Yalena Produnova

Yelena Produnova, who is known for her innovative and powerful skills on the vault and floor exercise executed the maneuver for the first time in 1999.

She enjoyed a glittering career that lasted from 1995 to 2000.

She earned multiple world and Olympic medals, however for all her efforts, gold always eluded her.

Dipa Karmarkar

Karmarkar has to her name the title of being the the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the Olympics.

Born in Agartala, Dipa first shot to limelight after winning bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Dipa is also the latest enterant to the exclusive club of gymnasts who have successfully executed the most difficult vault currently performed in women’s gymnastics.

Yamilet Pena

Yamilet Pena Abreu is an artistic gymnast from the Dominican Republic.

She has multiple medals to her name from championships across the globe.

Pena is best known for being the second woman to have executed Produnova at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo.

Fadwa Mohammad

Fadwa Mohamed is an Egyptian Gymnast and a self declared Elena Produnova fan.

Fadwa is the third female gymnast to have tasted success with the Produnova maneuver.

“I was never scared of doing it. Its not dangerous for someone who has a body like mine.”

Oksana Aleksandrovna Chusovitina

Born in 1975, Oksana is a veteran gymnast from Uzbekistan who has had a glittering career as an elite gymnast spanning over more than a quarter of a century.

She is the only gymnast to have ever competed in seven Olympics.

Oksana Chusovitina, has experience with the Produnova, and likely execute it in Rio.

“I’m not trying to die,” said Simone Biles to a journalist from The New Yorker who asked if she’d ever attempt the Produnova vault.And coming from a celebrated gymnast who has become the first female gymnast to win three straight World Championships, this should tell how dangerous the Produnova Vault event is considered even by the absolutely gifted achievers.  

That is why India will be watching with bated breath when Dipa Karmakar attempts it this Sunday as she competes in the finals of the Produvona Vault at the Rio Olympics, though it is late in the night (as per India’s Standard Time) that it will be broadcast live.