Biles Shows Off New Skill on Uneven Bars: Could the Sixth Be Named After Her?

PARIS — Simone Biles isn’t just ready to compete in the Olympics; she’s also ready to make a lasting impression.

Biles submitted a new element on the uneven bars for consideration by the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday. If she performs it in competition, it will become the sixth Biles signature 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 a move named after her on the floor, balance beam, uneven bars and vault, but Khorkina competed before the new points code went into effect. The current points system does not recognize her floor move.

Biles’ new element involves the so-called Weiler kip, a rotation around the bar to a handstand, followed by a 540-degree (one and a half) twist.

👀⁉️ photo.twitter.com/wmz12X5jmB

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 26, 2024

Biles will already be performing an incredibly difficult and dangerous jump that no other woman and only a few men in the world dare attempt — a Yurchenko double pike (also known as the Biles II). She landed it without hesitation during podium practice on Thursday, a move so ridiculously impressive that the assembled media in the otherwise empty arena could be heard reacting. When asked about the jump, Biles’ coach Cecile Landi grinned broadly.

“Perfect,” she said.

Simone Biles, cleared for takeoff. ✈️ #Olympic Games in Paris photo.twitter.com/I32IVlvmiR

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2024

Biles has been pushing the boundaries 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 — are considered among the most difficult skills on their respective apparatus.

Her return to the Olympics comes after a tumultuous three years. At the 2021 Tokyo Games, Biles withdrew from team competition after struggling on the winding roads. A month later, she testified before 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.

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However, she returned in top form to win the 2023 World All-Around Championships and has since won the US Championships and Trials all-around titles. “We’re all breathing a little bit of a sigh of relief, I’m not going to lie,” Landi said of the atmosphere around the team this year, compared to Tokyo.

Qualifying for the women’s gymnastics team begins Sunday. The U.S. is in Subdivision Two, with competition beginning at 11:40 a.m. local time or 5:40 a.m. ET.

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(Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)