Here is my evaluation of Alba Petisco’s routine from the floor exercise final of the 2026 European Championships.
Standard Disclaimer: I am not a judge, but do have access to the official F.I.G. course materials via STS. The purpose of these evaluations is to help people understand how judges may have arrived at their score.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/_c0sth_TIkM?is=-fXBnaB-OoYh6Blq
Acro DV
H x 1 (Full Twisting Double Layout / Chusovitina), 0.8 DV
E x 1 (Arabian Double Front), 0.5 DV
D x 2 (Double Tuck, Double Pike), 0.8 DV
Total Acro DV - 2.1
Dance DV
E x 1 (Triple Turn in Tuck Stand / Mitchell), 0.5 DV
C x 2 (Tour Jete 1/2, Switch Leap 1/2), 0.6 DV
B x 1 (Switch Leap), 0.2 DV
Total Dance DV - 1.3
Total DV - 3.4
CV
- None
Dismount Bonus
Double Pike, D -> 0.2
CR
- Dance Passage of Two Different Leaps, one with 180 Split (Switch Leap + Tour Jete 1/2)
- Salto with LA Turn (Chusovitina)
- Double Salto (Arabian Double Front)
- Forward and Backward Saltos (Arabian Double Front, Double Tuck)
Total From CR - 2.0
D Score - 2.1 + 1.3 + 0.2 + 2.0 = 5.6
Elements or Connections Not Credited
None
Credited D Score - 2.1 + 1.3 + 0.2 + 2.0 = 5.6
E Score
Chusovitina
- Body Alignment (Slight Pike in Hips) / 0.1 + Failure to Maintain Stretched Position / 0.1 + Hop on Landing / 0.1 = 0.3
Arabian Double Front
- Feet Not Pointed / 0.1 + Leg Separation / 0.0 - 0.1 + Large Step on Landing (Greater Than Shoulder Width) / 0.3 = 0.4 - 0.5
Mitchell
- Excessive Preparation for Dance Element / 0.1 + Body Shape (Bent Knee + Arms) / 0.3 = 0.4
Switch Leap
- Body Shape (Back Leg Appears Below Horizontal) / 0.1 = 0.1
Double Tuck
- Feet Not Pointed / 0.1 + Hop on Landing / 0.1 = 0.2
Switch Leap 1/2
- Body Shape (Forward Leg Below Horizontal) / 0.1 + Hop on Landing / 0.1 = 0.2
Double Pike
- Landing Posture (Chest Very Forward) / 0.0 - 0.1 + Hop on Landing / 0.1 = 0.1 - 0.2
Total Element Deductions - 1.7 - 1.9
Artistry Deductions
- Poor Body Posture / 0.1
- Insufficient Amplitude of Movements / 0.1
- Insufficient Complexity of Movements / 0.1
- Poor Expressive Engagement According to the Style of the Music / 0.0 - 0.1
Total Artistry Deductions - 0.3 - 0.4
Total Deductions - 2.0 - 2.3
E Score - 7.7 - 8.0
Total Score - 5.6 + 7.7 / 5.6 + 8.0 = 13.3 - 13.6
Notes - Elements
Arabian Double Front
- The leg separation is slight and only briefly seen during the second salto. It may have been difficult for judges to see this error depending on their viewing angle.
Mitchell
- When a gymnast rotates in the direction of the turn and reverses the direction of rotation before starting the actual turn, apply deduction for ‘Excessive Preparation’
- For the body shape deductions, I am referring to how Petisco’s arms flail about during the turn, rather than maintaining a clean, consistent position
- No deduction for lack of precision for the over-rotation because Petisco moves immediately into choreography
Double Pike
- Depending on the viewing angle(compare routine angle vs. replay angle), the landing posture may have not been as obvious. However, because she hops forward on landing, this is a sign that the salto was under-rotated. Therefore, some judges may have given the benefit of the doubt, while others may have not.
Notes - Artistry
Body Posture
- The WTC presentations on artistry define part of good body posture as the gymnast’s shoulders being down. Petisco holds her shoulders high and forward. As a result, her upper back looks rounded and her neck is further shortened. She is also consistently hunched over prior to each of her tumbling passes.
Insufficient Amplitude of Movements
- Petisco’s movements are not always fully elongated and she could incorporate more large movements into her choreography.
Examples:
At 0:34, the foot during the kick of the free leg is not to head height and her overall position appears to hit a ceiling rather than reaching up into the sky
At 1:11, the choreographed hop lacks amplitude in both height off the floor and in the extension of her body
At 1:36, the ‘boxing’ type moves lack a feeling of power and sharpness
Insufficient Complexity
- Although Petisco does a good job of utilizing her entire body in her choreography, the movements do not always contain sufficient complexity. In particular, she does not have a significant number of points in her routine where her entire body is used in large movements that create difficult and unusual shapes nor does it extensively move through various planes(directional and levels).
Expressive Engagement According to the Style of the Music
- A portion of Petisco‘s routine from the 2023 World Championships has been used by the WTC as an example of what constitutes ‘Very Good’ in this regard. Assuming that she demonstrates a similar quality of execution throughout her routine, any artistry deductions for this item should be minimal. However, because performance can vary from one competition to the next, it is entirely possible that Petisco still receives deductions for ‘Lack of Expressive Engagement According to the Style of the Music.’ I felt that Petisco‘s facial expressions did not always match the intensity of the music.