What Is a Jaeger Release? | Gymnastics Explained

Key takeaways

A Jaeger is released on the backward swing and rotates forward with a salto; a Tkachev is released on the forward swing and flies backward over the bar — that direction is the easiest way to tell them apart.

Like the Tkachev, it appears on both uneven bars (WAG) and horizontal bar (MAG).

Its value depends on body shape: C when tucked, D when straddled or piked, and harder still when straight or twisting.

It's named after East German gymnast Bernd Jäger, who first performed it on horizontal bar at the 1974 World Championships in Varna.

The Jaeger is the forward-rotating counterpart to the Tkachev: both are release moves that appear on bar apparatus in both disciplines, but they turn in opposite directions.

How it works

The gymnast swings backward, lets go of the bar, performs a salto forward, and catches the same bar again to continue the routine. The 2025–2028 WAG Code lists it as “swing backward, salto forward tucked to hang on HB (Jaeger-Salto)”, and the 2025–2028 MAG Code as “swing backward and salto forward tucked or straddled to hang”.

The salto takes the gymnast up and round in front of the bar, rather than over it. A forward salto that passes over the top of the bar is a different element: on horizontal bar it’s the Gaylord, and the women’s Code lists it separately too.

Shapes and values

Version	Uneven bars (WAG)	Horizontal bar (MAG)
Tucked	C	C
Straddled	D	C
Piked	D	D
Straight (stretched)	see note	E

(The women’s value for the straight Jaeger, named after Capuccitti, couldn’t be read reliably from the Code’s table layout and is left out.) Twisting versions carry names of their own. On uneven bars, a straddled Jaeger with a half turn is the Li Ya, and piked and straight Jaegers with a full turn are named after Minamino and Yang. On horizontal bar, a straight forward salto with a full twist is named after Winkler and Pogorelev. The women’s Code also says only one Jaeger-type element, with or without a turn, counts for difficulty in a routine.

How to tell it apart

Jaeger or Tkachev? Watch the rotation. In a Jaeger the gymnast turns forward — a front salto — before catching the bar. In a Tkachev the gymnast doesn’t somersault, but flies backward over the bar.
Jaeger or Pak salto? A Jaeger re-catches the same bar. A Pak salto flies from the high bar to the low bar.

Why it’s named as it is

The skill is named after Bernd Jäger of East Germany, who first performed it on horizontal bar at the 1974 World Championships in Varna, Bulgaria — reportedly adapted from a similar element (“the Janz roll”) that Karin Janz had performed on uneven bars in 1972. Women’s gymnastics adopted the skill for uneven bars later in the 1970s and 1980s.

For the wider families, see uneven bars release moves and horizontal bar releases.