MadameNoire
Source: Emilee Chinn / Getty
Simone Biles has made history yet again. On May 22, 2021 she competed for the first time in 587 days at the U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, IN. After a grand performance, Biles became the first woman ever to perform the Yurchenko double pike, a “round-off onto the springboard, back handspring onto the vaulting table and then flip into the air” according to NBC Sports. When Biles did it, she did a second flip in a pike position.
The Yurchenko double pike is very difficult and doesn’t garner as many points as people in gymnastics think it’s worth.
“That’s on the [International Federation of Gymnastics], that’s not on me,” Biles told ESPN about the scoring. “They have an open-end code of points, and now they’re mad people are too far ahead and excelling.”
This historic move comes after Biles had her heart set on retiring. Before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics being postponed, the 24-year-old planned on that being her final season of competing. So when it got pushed back, she was disappointed.
“I had my mind set for four years, so how do you go from one day being told ‘hey, sorry, another year’?,” she told BBC. “It’s hard to reset the calendar and the clock when you’ve been preparing your whole life to be ready at this certain time. So to have that set back it was just kind of crushing.”
The five-time gold medalist won the match, scoring 58.4 points.
Since the Olympics was put on hold, Biles used that time to practice the Yurchenko double pike and train.
“But I feel stronger this year than last year, physically, mentally,” Biles told NBC.
Before taking the floor at the U.S Classic, she admitted that she was a bit nervous.
“It was really nerve-racking, but I’m just happy to be back out here,” Biles said on NBC Sports. “I’m not really mad about today.”
Watch Biles land the astounding move below.
