Simone Bile Nails Historic Yurchenko Double Pike Vault at World Gymnastics Championship

Simone Biles achieved a historic milestone during her return to international gymnastics, as she flawlessly executed one of the sport's most challenging vaults on Sunday, CBS News Reports.

At the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Belgium, the four-time Olympic gold medalist became the first woman to successfully land a Yurchenko double pike vault in international competition.

The vault involves a sequence where the 26-year-old sprints down the runway, performs a round-off onto a springboard, executes a back handspring onto the vaulting table, and completes the move with two double flips.

Her impeccable landing was met with thunderous applause from the audience.

Notably, this vault is considered the most difficult in women's gymnastics, earning an assigned difficulty score of 6.4, surpassing the complexity of any other vault.

Simon Biles Gets 5th Skill Named After Her

Simone Biles has now added to her impressive list of skills, with the Yurchenko double pike vault being named after her as the "Biles II," marking the fifth skill named after the American gymnast, according to FOX News.

During the championships, Biles led the dominant U.S. team, posting an all-around total score of 58.865, securing the lead in the qualifying rounds across two subdivisions.

Her exceptional performances stood out, particularly on the floor exercise, vault, and balance beam, where she earned the highest scores.

She finished second in the uneven bars behind her teammate, Shilese Jones.

The U.S. team recorded an impressive score of 171.395 and is a strong contender for the team title. The all-around finals are scheduled for Friday, with the event finals to follow on Saturday and Sunday.

Simone Biles appears in top form, with less than a year remaining until the 2024 Olympics.

While she has not officially confirmed her participation, she indicated her desire to compete during an interview, stating that it's a path she would love to pursue.

She emphasized the importance of a deliberate and cautious approach leading to the next Games.

Simone Biles Coach Prioritizes Her Safety Over Score

Notably, Biles's exceptional technique often results in challenges during her landings.

In her qualifying performance at the world championships, the judges deducted 0.634 points for execution, mainly due to her powerful landing, which sometimes leads to a backward bounce, Yahoo! Sports noted.

To prioritize Biles's safety, her coach, Laurent Landi, has taken the unconventional step of standing on the landing mat during her vault.

Although he does not physically assist Biles, the presence of a spotter is against the rules, resulting in an additional half-point deduction from her score.

This decision to prioritize safety over points came primarily from Laurent Landi, reasoning that the Yurchenko double pike vault is highly challenging and any mistake could have serious consequences.

Before Biles introduced this groundbreaking vault, no woman had ever attempted a double-flipping Yurchenko in competition.

The additional flip makes Biles's skills more perilous than those performed by her peers. The gymnast may not complete the rotations and land on her feet if not executed with sufficient height and power.

There is a risk of slipping on the vaulting table or an abnormal push-off. Having a coach nearby can help prevent a disastrous outcome.

Biles gained confidence by practicing two Yurchenko double-pike vaults during a training session, and her exceptional performance in the qualifying round further solidified her faith in the skill.

Whether she continues to perform this vault and if her coach stands on the mat are day-to-day decisions.

She has three more performances on the vault apparatus during the championships in Antwerp, and her approach may evolve in the coming days.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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