PARIS — Simone Biles is not only ready to compete in the Olympics; she’s ready to leave a lasting impression.
Biles submitted a new element on the uneven bars for consideration to the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday. Should she hit it in competition, it will become the sixth signature Biles move and give the most decorated gymnast in history a named move on all four apparatus.
Only one other gymnast — Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina — has had a move named for her on floor, balance beam, uneven bars and vault, but Khorkina competed before the new code of points came into existence. The current scoring system does not recognize her move on the floor.
Biles’ new element includes what’s called a Weiler-kip — essentially a rotation around the bar to a handstand — followed by a 540-degree (one-and-a-half) turn.
👀⁉️ pic.twitter.com/wmz12X5jmB
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 26, 2024
Biles already will perform an incredibly difficult and dangerous vault no other women and only a few men in the world dare to try — a Yurchenko double pike (also known as the Biles II). At podium training Thursday, she stuck the landing with nary a flinch, the move so preposterously impressive the collection of assembled media could be heard reacting in the otherwise empty arena. Asked about the vault, Biles’ coach Cecile Landi smiled broadly.
“Perfect,’’ she said.
Simone Biles, cleared for takeoff. ✈️ #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/I32IVlvmiR
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2024
Biles has been pushing the limits of her sport for a decade. She earned her first named move in 2013, on the floor exercise and three of her elements — the Biles on beam, Biles II on floor, Biles and now Biles II on vault — rank as the most difficult skills on their respective apparatus.
Her return to the Olympics comes after three tumultuous years. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, Biles withdrew from the team competition after battling the twisties. A month later, she testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about USA Gymnastics’ failure to protect its athletes from Larry Nassar. Biles took a full year off before returning to competition.
GO DEEPER
Simone Biles is back at the Olympics, and no one is telling her what to do anymore
She returned, however, in full form and won the 2023 World Championship all-around and has since won the U.S. Championships and Trials all-around titles as well. “We’re all breathing a little easier, I’m not going to lie,’’ Landi said about the vibe around the team this year, compared to Tokyo.
Women’s gymnastics team qualification begins Sunday. The U.S. is in subdivision two, scheduled to begin competition at 11:40 local, or 5:40 a.m. ET.
Required reading
(Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)