What is the structure vaulters jump over called?

The structure vaulters jump over is called a vaulting table. In the vault event, a gymnast runs along a runway, jumps from a springboard, places the hands on the table, and pushes off before completing twists or somersaults and landing on the mat.

The modern table replaced the older vaulting horse in international gymnastics in 2004. It is wider and longer, providing a larger surface for the gymnast’s hands and improving stability and safety. Its broad shape also allows athletes to generate more powerful blocks and attempt increasingly difficult vaults.

“Vault” can refer both to the apparatus and to the event itself, which is why the terminology sometimes causes confusion. The springboard is the small, spring-loaded board used before the table; it is not the structure being jumped over. A landing mat sits beyond the table, while the balance beam and pommel horse are separate apparatus used in other events. Vaulting tables are used in both men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, although the routines and competition contexts may differ.