It’s shaping up to be quite an Olympics for Simone Biles, as she intends to perform a new “original” skill on the uneven bars at the Paris Olympics that will be named for her if she successfully completes it, according to the International Gymnastics Federation.
That announcement comes the day after Biles nailed a practice vault in Paris with such technical efficiency on July 25 that USA Gymnastics called it “unreal” when sharing the video on X.
The new skill will be on the uneven bars.
In a July 26 press release, the Federation announced that Biles is one of several gymnasts “aiming to have new elements named for them at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
“Biles submitted an original skill on the Uneven Bars to the FIG Women’s Technical Committee Thursday, making her one of four female gymnasts who may attempt new elements during the Olympics,” the release says.
The New Skill Will Likely Come at the Beginning of Simone Biles’ Uneven Bars Routine, the Federation Says
GettySimone Biles at a practice round before the Paris Olympics.
According to the Federation, the new skill “is a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns (540 degrees) to handstand, a variation of an element named for Wilhelm Weiler (CAN), which Biles has performed for much of her career.”
The release notes that Biles is likely to try to move at the beginning of her routine, adding that the Technical Committee has rated its difficulty as an E on a scale from A to J, giving the skill a value of “0.5 in difficulty.”
According to the Federation’s news release, five other elements are already named for Biles, “including two vaults, two tumbling skills on Floor Exercise and a dismount on Balance Beam.” Gymnast Nellie Kim has more, with seven.
The skill won’t be named for Biles unless she performs it during competition in Paris “without a major fault,” the release says.
Other gymnasts in Paris are also attempting new skills, according to the release.
They include Rebeca Andrade (BRA), Lieke Wevers (NED), and Naomi Visser (NED), according to the release.
Simone Biles Nailed the ‘Signature Yurchenko Double Pike’ Vault in Paris as the Olympics Gears Up, Video Shows
During training on July 25 in Paris, Biles nailed one of the elements named for her previously, a “signature Yurchenko double pike vault,” according to Fox News.
According to NBC News, the vault is “dangerous,” so Biles “often overrotates the skill, resulting in a fall or several backward steps.” That didn’t happen during the practice vault, the video shows.
NBC News put the difficulty rating of the skill at 6.4, reporting that it would possibly put her in medal contention as a result if she can land it in the competition itself.
“We’re all breathing a little bit better right now. I’m not gonna lie,” said Biles’ coach, Cecile Landi, about Biles’ performance, according to Olympics.com.
“The whole team, you know, [the vibe] is bright. It’s the Olympic Games … The rings are everywhere, you know? So we feel much better. The girls feel good. We feel good,” she said, according to the Olympics.com site.
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