In gymnastics, the vault is both an apparatus and a skill performed using that apparatus). It is a piece of gymnastics equipment that the performer has to get over. The vault is an Olympic artistic gymnastics event performed using an apparatus called the vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault). The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is VT). The vaulting horse was the apparatus used in the Olympics for over a century, beginning with the Mens vault in the first modern Olympics and ending with the Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics). The vaulting table replaced the horse in 2001 for greater safety of the gymnast.

To perform a vault, the gymnast runs down a runway, which is usually padded or carpeted. They hurdle onto a springboard and spring onto the vault with their hands (the preflight or first flight, and block). For vaults in the Yurchenko family, the gymnast will put their hands onto a mat that is placed before the springboard, round-off onto the board, and do a back handspring onto the vault). Gymnasts (both male and female) show one vault in Qualification, Team Final, and All Around Final. If the gymnast wishes to qualify for vault apparatus finals, they must perform a second vault during qualifications. In the Apparatus Finals gymnasts must perform two vaults).

Each vault is evaluated according to a table of standards of difficulty. A variety of tricks may be performed, such as vaulting over with straddled legs, with legs together and bent into a squatting position, or with legs straight and the hips bent, as well as handsprings, cartwheels, and other more difficult movements.