Belle (Parallel Bars)

The Belle is a release element in men’s artistic gymnastics on the parallel bars. It is distinguished by a dynamic forward flight phase before the gymnast regraspes the rails.

The gymnast must create enough height and forward travel to clear the rails while keeping the body organized for the regrasp. Timing the release and hand placement is critical because the skill combines flight with a narrow catch window.

An ordinary swing keeps the gymnast supported on the rails, while the Belle includes a visible flight phase in which the hands leave the apparatus. The defining feature is the controlled release followed by a regrasp.

The Belle is a parallel-bars element in men’s artistic gymnastics. It is not the same apparatus skill as a release on women’s uneven bars, even though both events include flight elements.