Simone Biles is now the most successful gymnast of our generation.
After the 2023 World Championships in early October, she became the world’s most decorated gymnast, highlighting her as a pioneer in the sport.
Since her international debut in 2013 at the World Championships in Antwerp, Biles has proven why she is the ultimate athlete. Not only has she won 27 gold medals but has also become a role model in recent years, after prioritising her mental health over sport.
Withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Biles admitted to having experienced the ‘twisties’ (a term used by gymnasts to refer to a mental block which prevents them from completing a skill). She has talked about the combination of mental pressure and stress in the lead up to said Olympics season, that created a mind and body disconnect, which meant she suffered from the ‘twisties’.
Three years later and Biles is back in full form, having completed the Biles II: A double Yurchenko pike; a vault with the highest difficulty of any skill, currently standing at a 6.4 value. Biles debuted the Yurchenko double pike in the 2021 US classic, but only recently in the 2023 World Championships has it been named after the athlete. This will be the fifth skill Biles has had named after her.
Simone Biles is first ever woman to complete this skill at an international competition, and despite falling on her first attempt, she successfully completed it the second time – achieving an average score of 14.549. She won a silver medal, putting her just behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade who had won gold.
Unfortunately, Biles also received a 0.5 deduction, as her coach – Laurent Landi – was stood on the mat, for safety reasons, preparing to spot her as she carried out the world’s most difficult vault.
Even though the spot was not used, coaches are penalised for standing on the mat, unlike the uneven bars where the same is permitted. This penalty was taken knowingly, but has sparked debate amongst coaches, ex-professionals, and current gymnasts about whether or not it should still exist in the general rules of gymnastics today.
Edited by: Shania Mehta