Introduction to Simone Biles’ Gymnastics Career
It is not enough — it has never been enough — for Simone Biles to do gymnastics. The 27-year-old Houston superstar has been intent almost from the start on pushing the sport in new directions by doing things that have never been done before. That could continue this week when she tries for her ninth Olympic medal in Paris.
Elements Named After Simone Biles
Five elements currently bear her name in the Code of Points after she successfully completed them in an international competition: two on vault, two on floor exercise, and one on balance beam. There’s a chance Biles could add a sixth if she tries the original skill — this one on uneven bars — she submitted to the International Gymnastics Federation before the Olympics. Biles did not attempt it during qualifying on Sunday or during the team final Tuesday. She could still attempt it during the all-around final Thursday.
Biles’ Skills
A quick primer on what you could see:
- Biles I (Floor exercise version): She was just a teenager and recently minted national champion when Biles performed a tumbling pass at the 2013 world championships that she completes by doing a double layout with a half-twist at the end.
- Biles II (floor exercise version): Biles returned to the sport in 2018 following a two-year layoff after winning the all-around at the 2016 Olympics. Not content to merely repeat herself, Biles began working on a triple-twisting, double flip that is now known simply as “the triple-double.”
- Biles I (vault version): As with a lot of gymnastics elements, Biles took a Cheng vault and added another layer of difficulty — this one an extra half twist on a vault originally done by China’s Cheng Fei.
- Biles II (vault version): This may be the most dazzling, most daring one of them all. The Yurchenko double pike had never been completed by a woman in competition, and few men have even tried.
- Biles I (balance beam version): For all of her explosive tumbling, Biles is a wonder on balance beam, too, where she can make doing intricate moves on a four-inch-wide piece of wood seem almost casual.
The New Uneven Bars Skill
The skill Biles submitted requires her to do a forward circle around the lower bar before turning a handstand into a 540-degree pirouette. USA Gymnastics teased the move on X ahead of the Games. Bars is considered the weakest of Biles’ events in the sense that just one of her 38 Olympic and world championship medals have come on bars.
Conclusion
Simone Biles has made a name for herself in the world of gymnastics by constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. With five elements already named after her and the potential for a sixth, she continues to inspire and awe fans around the globe. As she competes in the Paris Olympics, the world waits with bated breath to see what new feats she will achieve, further cementing her legacy as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
