Usually the most crowd-pleasing and spectacular of all the event, the horizontal bar consists of swings, release moves, and high-flying dismounts. During the routine, the gymnast must execute a series of continuous swings and turns and at lease one move in which the gymnast releases and re-grasps the bar. High-level gymnasts usually complete multiple release moves and recieve bonus points for connecting high-difficulty skills before and after their release moves. Look for soaring dismounts with multiple somersaults and twists.
At the highest levels, a gymnast must perform very difficult release moves that have a small margin of error to have any hopes of winning. Release moves are performed 12-15 feet over the bar, which requires a fearless and aggressive effort. He must maintain form throughout the release move and while catching the bar, which is usually a matter of just inches. The world’s best will have several release moves, no execution errors and a big dismount with a perfect, stuck landing.