How do Academy gymnasts work on their jumping technique? Ekaterina Belova tells all

After the assessment training session, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva noted that the Academy gymnasts have started to jump better.

We found out from the Academy choreographer Ekaterina Belova how young athletes work on jumping technique in her class before the upcoming competitions.

"In gymnastics, very often children jump, even sometimes without touching the floor with their heels. In the choreography, in the jump, we have three joints working:  the hip joint, the knee joint and the ankle joint. If any jump starts and ends in a plie, then we don’t have a springboard jump, but a balloon jump, when the child gains height, she can hang, and the higher the amplitude, the more complicated movements she can do with an object," she said.

The choreographer also explained the importance of a safe landing in a plie after jumping.

"Often children stick their feet into the floor, this is called a hard landing. This can cause injury. Dangerous for the knee joint, because the knee moves forward, and it is designed only for flexion and extension - the knee joint itself - and not for rotational movements. We also need to protect the spine. And when a child lands in a plié, this is a guarantee that the next jump will also be high, with advancement, for a large amplitude, with a hang and work with the object," she explained.

The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy students are finishing up their preparations ahead of the international tournament Crystal Rose, which will be held in Minsk from August 4-6.