Good luck world.
If anyone had any lingering doubts whether or not Simone Biles could bounce back after the Tokyo games, well, enjoy this.
Thursday was Team USA’s turn to get in their practice in Paris ahead of the games, and while most athletes used this to get comfortable in the building, Biles was out here casually doing the most difficult vault in history.
This is the Yurchenko Double Pike — also known as the “Biles II.” It’s marked by a Yurchenko entry (which is a round off back-handspring), with a double piked salto. This has never been done at an Olympic games before. Biles debuted the vault in 2021, with plans to use it at the Tokyo games — but her withdrawal meant we never got to see it.
Simply put: Nobody else in the world is able to do this other than Biles. Several athletes have attempted the skill in training, but there is no record of anyone landing it other than Biles.
The Biles II was added to the code of points in 2023, where it carries an astonishing 6.4 degree of difficulty, and a maximum possible score of 16.4. To put this in context, a vault with a difficulty of 6.0 won gold in Tokyo, with the highest total score being a 15.333 at the games.
Biles is out here sticking this like glue in practice. Have fun everyone, because Simone is back.
