Cassina (High Bar)

The Cassina is named after Italian gymnast Igor Cassina, who debuted the skill at the World Championships. He famously used this release move to win the gold medal on the high bar at the 2004 Athens Olympics. It was the first time a release move of that extreme difficulty was successfully landed at the Olympic Games.

The Cassina consists of a double backward layout salto with a full twist over the high bar. The gymnast releases the bar, completes two full rotations in a layout position while twisting 360 degrees, and then catches the bar again. It requires immense height and spatial awareness to prevent crashing into the bar.

Yes, the Cassina has become a staple release move for top-tier male gymnasts competing on the high bar. It is classified as an E-rated element in the men's FIG Code of Points, offering significant difficulty points. Gymnasts like Epke Zonderland have incorporated it into spectacular, high-difficulty combinations.

Both are twisting double layout release moves on the high bar, but they differ in the amount of rotation. The Kolman features a double layout with one and a half twists, while the Cassina incorporates a full twist. The Cassina is considered slightly more challenging due to the blind catching position.