Hamlet Manukyan’s signature skill is gaining popularity among gymnasts worldwide
- Author: Vaha Hakobyan
- Sportaran
The Pommel Horse element named after Armenian gymnast Hamlet Manukyan — The Manukyan — is attracting increasing attention across the world of artistic gymnastics.
Judging by videos appearing on social media, gymnasts in various countries have already begun training the new skill. Footage of practice attempts has been shared by athletes and gymnastics schools from Japan, China, Iran, Russia and other countries.
The Manukyan is a direct combination of two elements — the Bertoncelj and the Davtyan — performed on one pommel. It has an F difficulty rating and is valued at 0.6 points. On Pommel Horse, this is a high difficulty value associated with routines performed by international and world-class gymnasts.
Hamlet Manukyan successfully performed the new element for the first time on September 13, 2025, at the World Challenge Cup in Paris. The skill was later officially added to the Code of Points under the Armenian gymnast’s surname.
At the competition in Paris, Manukyan presented a routine with a difficulty score of 5.8 points. The new element’s value of 0.6 points therefore accounted for more than 10 percent of the total difficulty score of his routine.
The Manukyan continues the traditions of the Armenian school of artistic gymnastics, whose representatives have previously had elements on various apparatus named after them. At just 18 years old, Manukyan is already considered one of the strongest Pommel Horse specialists. In 2025, he became European champion and reached the World Championships final.
The Armenian gymnast’s next major event will be the 2026 European Championships in Zagreb. The men’s competition will take place from August 19 to 23, with the Pommel Horse final scheduled for August 21. Manukyan has been included in the Armenian national team’s entry list and will defend the European title he won the previous year.
The growing interest in The Manukyan shows that the young Armenian gymnast’s signature element is already becoming part of modern international gymnastics.