Simone Biles Becomes First Woman to Land This Series of Superhuman Flips

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Simone Biles Becomes First Woman to Land This Series of Superhuman Flips
Photo:Lionel Bonaventure/AFP (Getty Images)

Simone Biles dominated the U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, pulling off a number of high-scoring stunts, including one that has never been executed by a woman gymnast before.

At the Saturday event—her first since 2019, no less—Biles landed a Yurchenko double pike, a complicated maneuver involving a roundoff, back handspring, a vault, and a series of flips that are nearly impossible to perceive with the human eye. (Biles made news after Team USA posted footage of her landing the impossible-seeming move in practice.)

The historic feat is the result of Biles “experimenting” after news that the 2020 Olympics were being postponed, according to the Associated Press. Though she didn’t exactly stick the landing, she still landed it, which—again!—only men have ever done before.

“I know it’s not the correct one, but I can still do it,” Biles told the AP. “So why not just show off my ability and athleticism?”

Biles received the top score in three out of four events on Saturday—including vault—walking away with the best all-around title.

In another press interview after the stunt, Biles said: “I was just thinking, ‘Do it like training. Don’t try to like overdo anything. Because I have a tendency as soon as I raise my hand to kind of overpower things, and I did a little bit, but at least I was on my feet. It’s a new vault and I’m proud of how today went.”

Whether the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will take place this summer as planned is still undecided. No matter: In the meantime Biles will keep “experimenting” with history-making stunts.

 
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