Update: This story has been revised to include a response from the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. It was originally published on February 2, 2016.
Gymnast Marisa Dick had a good reason for being nervous as she went into the World Championships. In addition to vying for top scores and the chance to compete in the 2016 Olympics, the 18-year-old athlete planned to debut a new move that had never before been completed in competition. If she landed the leg-switching, springboard-to-split mount on the balance beam, her move — and name — would go in the sport's official Code of Points. "It takes a long time — I was doing 20 a day every day in practice," Dick told Refinery29 about her training regimen leading up to the late-fall competition in Glasgow, Scotland. "You only have one shot to make it count and make it named after yourself." All that dedication and training paid off. "It was incredible," Dick said during a break from training at the Ortona Gymnastics Club in Alberta, Canada. "As soon as I landed on the beam, I was like, Oh my gosh, yay! But then I was like, Wait, I have a full routine to do still... I was just really excited that it worked out." The move, which carries her name, will be included in the sport's official guidelines for scoring routines moving forward, she said. The international body governing the sport, the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, confirmed to Refinery29 that the mount was added to the code and named for Dick. FIG's Blythe Lawrence wrote in an email that moves must be performed "cleanly" and "have a considerable level of difficulty in order to be named for a gymnast." Dick, who placed 77th overall in the meet, celebrated her accomplishment with a video montage on Instagram showing her nailing — and, in some cases, missing — the landing. The video and story behind her signature move later caught the attention of outlets like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Root.
Gymnast Marisa Dick had a good reason for being nervous as she went into the World Championships. In addition to vying for top scores and the chance to compete in the 2016 Olympics, the 18-year-old athlete planned to debut a new move that had never before been completed in competition. If she landed the leg-switching, springboard-to-split mount on the balance beam, her move — and name — would go in the sport's official Code of Points. "It takes a long time — I was doing 20 a day every day in practice," Dick told Refinery29 about her training regimen leading up to the late-fall competition in Glasgow, Scotland. "You only have one shot to make it count and make it named after yourself." All that dedication and training paid off. "It was incredible," Dick said during a break from training at the Ortona Gymnastics Club in Alberta, Canada. "As soon as I landed on the beam, I was like, Oh my gosh, yay! But then I was like, Wait, I have a full routine to do still... I was just really excited that it worked out." The move, which carries her name, will be included in the sport's official guidelines for scoring routines moving forward, she said. The international body governing the sport, the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, confirmed to Refinery29 that the mount was added to the code and named for Dick. FIG's Blythe Lawrence wrote in an email that moves must be performed "cleanly" and "have a considerable level of difficulty in order to be named for a gymnast." Dick, who placed 77th overall in the meet, celebrated her accomplishment with a video montage on Instagram showing her nailing — and, in some cases, missing — the landing. The video and story behind her signature move later caught the attention of outlets like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Root.
With "The Marisa Dick" officially in the books, the dual citizen of Canada and Trinidad and Tobago is focusing on achieving a goal that she's had since she was a tumbling toddler: making it to the Olympics. She's currently second in line for a spot to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2016 Games in Rio this summer.
Dick's also developing another new skill that could give her a second entry in the Code of Points. But mum's the word when it comes to that new move.
"I can't give anything away just yet," she said.