When a 10 is flashed by the judges, there’s excitement in the air in the hope that the other will do the same. Simultaneously, gymnastics fans at home are dissecting the routine for deductions to call foul on the perfect mark. Even if only one judge gives the routine a 10, it is still a huge accomplishment—at least it’s supposed to be.
The frequency that judges were giving out 10s in 2022 was near an all-time high. Getting a 10 from even just one judge is special. Achieving a 9.975 is supposed to be something that few manage to do, but with the high score bunching at the top in 2022 compared to years past, 9.975s were being tossed around by judges much more often than not.
From the perspective of the gymnast, they know the hard work they put in as they strive for perfection each week, but having that work recognized in the form of a 10 is a surreal feeling. Amari Celestine recalled the feeling of one judge flashing a 10 on her 2022 floor routine. “When the score comes up, you’re like, ‘OK, I worked so hard for it. It’s noticed.’”
That sentiment was echoed by Natalie Wojcik, who recalled those moments by saying, “Gymnastics is a sport that centers around chasing perfection. To be able to see on the scoreboard, essentially what you’ve worked for since you were three or four years old, is really an indescribable feeling.”
The 2023 season is still young, so we don’t know how the numbers will stack up compared to the past few years, but the numbers already seem to be flying. Before senior meets start happening, and scores rise more than they already have, now is the time to look back at the frequency of each of those high scores so we have a benchmark to watch as the 2023 season continues.
The table below shows the count and frequency of each of the score totals of 9.950, 9.975, and 10.000 from 2018 to 2022.
| Year | 9.95 Scores | 9.975 Scores | 10.0 Scores | Total Scores | % of 9.95 | % of 9.975 | % of 10.0 |
| 2018 | 277 | 80 | 39 | 24656 | 1.12% | 0.32% | 0.16% |
| 2019 | 324 | 92 | 37 | 24822 | 1.31% | 0.37% | 0.15% |
| 2020 | 231 | 87 | 31 | 18858 | 1.22% | 0.46% | 0.16% |
| 2021 | 302 | 69 | 31 | 15201 | 1.99% | 0.45% | 0.20% |
| 2022 | 512 | 177 | 71 | 22998 | 2.23% | 0.77% | 0.31% |
Part of what makes reaching perfection so special is that it’s rare. We already knew that the number of 10s given out during the 2022 season was high compared to the years prior. While 71 routines got at 10 from multiple judges, there were 177 more routines where at least one judge posted a 10. Can that still be considered rare?
“Rare” is associated with an occurrence that happens between 0.01% and 0.10% of the time. Looking at the numbers, with the large increase from 2018 to 2021 and 2022, the percentage is over that threshold for the accomplishment of receiving a 10 to still be a rare occurrence. The next tier is 0.10% to 1.00%, which is when something is upgraded to being considered “uncommon.” The percentage of routines given a 10 in 2022 was slightly more frequent than even the uncommon threshold.
In 2022, receiving a 10 from a judge was not rare even if it was an unforgettable moment for the athletes themselves. The likelihood that the amount of 10s flashed will decrease enough for it to be rare is low, but for them to be uncommon is still in reach, which would help keep the 10 feeling special.
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Article by Alyssa Van Auker
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