Fail Friday Follies: When gymnastics goes wrong, flips flop and tumblers drop

Gymnastics can be brutal, just ask bodybuilder Gabriel Sey. With as much jumping, flipping, twirling and twisting that the sport entails, it’s sometimes a wonder that anyone can get through a routine without error.

The above compilation of gymnastics fails covers the gamut of less-than-majestic moments that can leave even the stoutest of gymnasts wondering if they chose the right discipline to pursue.

For every apparatus used in gymnastics, there are associated fails — from missed grabs on the parallel bars, to falls from the balance beam and collisions with the vault. By comparison, football and rugby can appear like leisurely get togethers.

Gymnastics fails are by no means limited to amateur practitioners of the sport. Even America’s celebrated Olympic gymnasts have faced occasional ignominy on the big stage.