Simone Biles is at it again, folks! The gymnastics superstar has just submitted a brand new move on the uneven bars for the upcoming Paris Olympics. If she pulls it off, this will be her sixth element named after her, and her first on bars. Talk about leaving your mark on the sport!
So what’s this new trick? It’s a twist on something Biles has been doing for years – a clear hip circle forward, but now with a whopping 1.5 turns to handstand. The gymnastics bigwigs at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) have given it an “E” difficulty rating, which translates to 0.5 points. Not too shabby!
USA Gymnastics couldn’t resist teasing fans about this new move on social media. Can you blame them? It’s exciting stuff!
Now, Biles is no stranger to having moves named after her. She’s already got two vaults (including that jaw-dropping Yurchenko double pike), two floor tumbling skills, and a balance beam dismount. If she nails this bars element, she’ll be the only gymnast right now with a named skill on all four events. That’s some serious bragging rights!
Interestingly, bars isn’t usually considered Biles’ strongest event. Out of her mind-boggling 37 Olympic and world championship medals, only one has come from bars. But don’t let that fool you – she’s still one of America’s top performers on the apparatus.
Biles isn’t the only one pushing boundaries in Paris. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade is eyeing a risky new vault to defend her Tokyo gold. Meanwhile, Dutch gymnasts Naomi Visser and Lieke Wevers are hoping to debut a tricky new floor move.
As for Biles and the uneven bars, there’s a chance we might not see her compete on this event in the team finals. USA Gymnastics co-lead Chellsie Memmel hinted they might give Biles a breather during that part of the competition. But with this new move in her arsenal, who knows? The gymnastics world will be watching eagerly as the Games kick off this Sunday with qualifications.
