AI judging could be used at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Gymnastics is at the forefront of artificial intelligence-assisted judging in elite sport, and the technology could be used to help determine medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Officials in the sport said they would be “highly surprised” if AI-assisted judging was not implemented at the Games.
The prospect comes after criticism from leading gymnasts at the recent World Championships, where athletes questioned whether an automated system could accurately assess movements that involve safety-related adjustments. Gymnasts said they were “not robots” and warned that the technology could be “dangerous”.
Carlos Yulo and Harry Hepworth challenge vault downgrades
Olympic champion Carlos Yulo and British gymnast Harry Hepworth both had the difficulty rating of their vaults downgraded during qualifying in Rotterdam. Both gymnasts performed the piked Dragulescu, but their scores were reduced from 5.6 to 5.2 after the judging system identified their body positions as a tucked vault.
Hepworth attempted the same vault in the final and finished sixth, while Yulo fell and placed seventh. On his return from Rotterdam, Hepworth told BBC Sport: “On the half twist I bend my legs so that I can prepare for the landing, which I think is the most sensible thing to do because you don’t want to break your legs or anything.”
“But the AI detection system caught on to it and said I was doing a tuck position, which then downgrades the vault by four tenths.”
“It definitely cost me a few positions, I think, in the final for sure.”
Hepworth linked his experience to Yulo’s downgrade, saying: “I think it does say a lot when me, the Olympic bronze medallist on vault, and the Olympic champion on vault are getting done by the AI system for the exact same thing.”
He added: “In the final he really did go for the straight legs and it just made him fall because it’s just really hard to do, and I think quite dangerous as well.”
Yulo also expressed disappointment with the decision. “I don’t know what the problem is,” he told Inside Gymnastics. “It’s AI, I’m not a robot, we’re human beings, in my eyes and in my opinion. I think everyone also is maybe a bit disappointed about it because everyone is feeling it is pike position, why is it only 5.2?”
Gymnastics officials defend judging decisions
Andrew Tombs, president of the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics technical committee, said the AI system could help guarantee fairness for athletes. He argued that gymnasts deserved consistent judging and said human judges at the World Championships would have downgraded the difficulty rating even without the Judging Support System, known as the JSS.
Tombs acknowledged that lessons had been learned from the World Championships. Discussions with coaches are continuing about the precise point at which the JSS should take its measurements, an issue that could affect how vault positions are assessed in future competitions.
“I think the decisions made at the championships were correct based on what was in the system,” he added.
Why This Matters
The debate over AI-assisted judging highlights the challenge of applying automated analysis to gymnastics skills that combine technical requirements with safety-conscious execution. For athletes such as Carlos Yulo and Harry Hepworth, a difference of four tenths in difficulty can have a direct impact on qualification scores and final standings.
The World Championships also showed that introducing technology into judging requires agreement among officials, coaches and athletes about how measurements should be taken. With gymnastics officials expecting AI-assisted judging to play a role at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the ongoing discussions about the Judging Support System could shape how medal-deciding routines are evaluated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could AI judging be used at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?
Yes. Gymnastics officials said they would be “highly surprised” if AI-assisted judging was not implemented at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Why were Carlos Yulo and Harry Hepworth’s vaults downgraded?
Their piked Dragulescu vaults were assessed as having a tucked position during the half twist. Their difficulty ratings were reduced from 5.6 to 5.2.
What is the Judging Support System?
The Judging Support System, or JSS, is the AI-assisted technology used to support the evaluation of gymnastics routines. Officials said discussions with coaches are continuing over when and how the system should take its measurements.
