Simone Biles Continues to Push Gymnastics Boundaries with Named Skills

Simone Biles, the 27-year-old American gymnast, has always aimed to innovate in her sport. She is set to compete for her eighth Olympic medal in Paris this week. Biles has already had five elements named after her in the Code of Points: two on vault, two on floor exercise, and one on balance beam. She might add a sixth element if she attempts a new skill on the uneven bars, which she submitted to the International Gymnastics Federation before the Olympics.

Innovative Skills on Floor Exercise

Biles first introduced a unique tumbling pass at the 2013 world championships. This move involves a double layout with a half-twist at the end. Despite its risky appearance, it was designed to be less taxing on her legs due to previous injuries. Her former coach Aimee Boorman explained, "It was almost kind of necessity is the mother of invention," as Biles had calf pain and bone spurs in her ankles.

After a two-year break following her 2016 Olympic all-around win, Biles returned to gymnastics in 2018 with a new move. She began working on a triple-twisting double flip, known as "the triple-double." She showcased this move at the 2019 U.S. Championships and later at the world championships, where she won her fifth world all-around title. "I wanted to see how it looked," she said afterward.

Vaulting to New Heights

Biles has also made significant contributions to vaulting techniques. She modified a Cheng vault by adding an extra half twist, which requires a round-off onto the vault, followed by a half-twist onto the table and two full twists. This move was added to the Code of Points after she performed it at the 2018 world championships. U.S. men's gymnast Yul Moldauer remarked, "I'm embarrassed to do floor and vault after something like that."

Another remarkable vault by Biles is the Yurchenko double pike, which had never been completed by a woman in competition before her. This vault involves a round-off back handspring onto the table, followed by two backward flips in pike position. Her longtime coach Laurent Landi commented, "No, it's not normal," after she executed it perfectly at the 2023 U.S. Championships.

Mastery on Balance Beam

Biles is also exceptional on the balance beam. In 2019, she introduced a double-twisting double-tucked dismount off the beam at the world championships. Although she no longer performs this move regularly, it remains one of her signature skills.

Potential New Skill on Uneven Bars

The new skill Biles submitted for the uneven bars involves a forward circle around the lower bar followed by a handstand into a 540-degree pirouette. USA Gymnastics teased this move ahead of the Games. Despite bars being considered her weakest event—only one of her 38 Olympic and world championship medals comes from bars—Biles performed well during team finals without attempting this new skill.

Biles did not try this new skill during qualifying or team finals but may attempt it during the all-around final on Thursday. Team USA secured gold easily without needing this new element from Biles.