MAG Question about p bars, from a girl

[Flipomaniak]

I am a girl and a gymnast but I don't know much about the rules, skills, anything really about MAG... I was watching the Olympics and I noticed that on p bars the do a giant like skill (or swing into release). They have to bend their legs at the bottom because the p bars are low. I know this is acceptable but why don't they just make the p bars taller and have the guys do the giant like skill with straight legs? I think it would look so much nicer... Sorry if I'm being ignorant or if the question is stupid, I'd just like to know.


In case I'm making no sense, look at this video 13, 21, and 37 seconds in to see what I mean.


WC TOKYO 2011 - Kohei UCHIMURA (JPN) - YouTube

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

My guess is that it has to do with stability of the equipment. The higher they put the bars, the harder it will be to keep them stable enough for big skills.

If you look at a high bar or a ring tower, you can see that cables are used to keep it stable. But there's no way I can think of to do this with a set of p-bars without the cables getting in the way of some of the skills.

 

[JBS]

The same reason they don't make the uneven bars higher and wider (don't know why...tradition I suppose). We have some girls that cannot swing FIG unevens...they would have to bend their knees to keep off the floor when swinging on the high rail. Fortunately the bars can go higher in the USAG JO program. P-Bars...not so much...it's just the way it is until someone changes the rule.

 

[jdbliese]

I think it might go back to when the sport was just starting out. Like when a "vault horse" was and actual horse.