How does the gymnastics scoring work? Complex system dominated by Simone Biles at Paris Olympics explained

Gymnastics are again proving to be one of the most watched Olympic events, with Simone Biles among the stars dazzling in Paris.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, won her fifth Olympic gold medal in the women’s team final to make headlines across the world.

The 27-year-old and fellow Team USA stars Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera topped the podium with a total score of 171.296.

The routines are far from complete, with more artistic gymnastics trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics still to come.

However, considering the vast difference in the apparatus, from the parallel bars to the balance beam, how is it all tallied up?

How does the gymnastics scoring work?

Each score that an athlete is awarded following their routines are made up of both the execution and the difficulty.

The E-score begins at a maximum 10.0 rating for each gymnast and is reduced by mistakes, which also factor in the severity of an error.

For example, a small sideways step on an otherwise settled landing may only yield a 0.1 penalty, but a fall will chalk off an entire point.

The closer to perfection, the higher the E-score will be, with choreography’s creativity also assessed in beam and floor routines.

The D-score meanwhile has no maximum value and is judged by a difficulty panel on how hard a gymnasts’ routine is.

Each athlete starts with an intended D-score, but won’t receive the full value should a planned skill not be performed or executed to the standard outlined in the International Gymnastics Federation’s rulebook, the Code of Points.

Overall, the total score is calculated by the D-score plus the E-score, while factoring in any deductions.

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Each vault has an assigned difficulty-based value to determine its D-score, but bars, balance beams, and floor exercises are more complex.

In those. composition requirements, difficulty values, and connection bonuses are judged to reward more creative and tougher routines.

Each skill is assigned a value from A to J, with the former being the easiest at 0.1, with that being the level of increase with each letter.

Biles’ triple-double on the floor that she executed at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships is an example of the toughest ‘J’ value.

In elite gymnastics, such as the Olympics, most D-scores fall between the 5-6 point range, with Biles again stretching the boundaries with her vault — the Yurchenko double pike — provisionally valued at 6.6.

Meanwhile, an E-score of 9.00 and above is excellent, with a combined score that is 15.000 world-class.

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Thursday, August 1

17:15 Women’s all-around final

Friday, August 2

11:00 Women’s trampoline qualification

12:50 Women’s trampoline final

17:00 Men’s trampoline qualification

18:50 Men’s trampoline final

Saturday, August 3

14:30 Men’s floor exercise final

15:20 Women’s vault final

16:16 Men’s pommel horse final

Sunday, August 4

14:00 Men’s rings final

14:40 Women’s uneven bars final

15:24 Men’s vault final

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Monday, August 5

10:45 Men’s parallel bars final

11:38 Women’s balance beam final

12:33 Men’s horizontal bar final

13:23 Women’s floor exercise final

Thursday, August 8

09:00 Rhythmic individual all-around qualification, part 1 of 2

14:00 Rhythmic individual all-around qualification, part 2 of 2

Friday, August 9

09:00 Rhythmic group all around qualification, part 1 of 2

10:16 Rhythmic group all around qualification, part 2 of 2

13:30 Rhythmic individual all-around final

Saturday, August 10

13:00 Rhythmic group all-around final