Sport

Biles creates another world gymnastics first

12:53 pm on 2 October 2023

Simone Biles of United States reacts after performing artistic gymnastics women’s balance beam final at Ariake Gymnastics Center in Koto Ward, Tokyo 3 August. Photo: AFP or licensors

American gymnastic Simone Biles became the first woman to do the Yurchenko double pike at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp with the vault now to be named after her.

The Yurchenko double pike is the most difficult jump in the women's scoring code and was rated at 6.4 points by the technical committee in anticipation of it being performed.

It was named after Natalia Yurchenko as she pioneered the approach to the vault not the what Biles performed after pressing off it.

The 26-year-old athlete scored 15.266 with a 58.865 total in the all-around, securing the vault to be named Biles II after a different original jump was named after her in 2018.

With 25 world medals, the most of any gymnast in history, and seven Olympic medals, the oldest American woman to compete at the worlds now has five skills named after her, two on the floor exercise, two on vault, and one on the balance beam.

The U.S. women's team finished their qualifying subdivision at the top of the table and will go for team gold in Antwerp.

-Reuters