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The Best and Most Superhuman Skills Simone Biles Debuted in 2020 Alone — There Are Many

25/11/2020 - 06:43 PM

If everything aligns right, Simone Biles will be at the Tokyo Olympics this coming summer [1] — she's arguably the best in her sport. Sure, she will have to qualify like everyone else, but her high-scoring routines speak for themselves. What other gymnast could fall during a competition [2] and still come out with a gold medal? Biles. Who else could pull off three twists and two flips in the air [3] time and time again? Biles. What person could get two new flips named after them in 2019 [4]? Well . . . you know who.

The superstar athlete started out 2020 strong, prepping for her presumed few months leading up to the Olympic trials. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Biles's training (as well as the training of every athlete [5] preparing for the highly anticipated games overseas) came to a halt. Despite it all, she's showcased difficult-times-10 skills this year.

Whether she's just playing around for fun at gymnastics practice or seriously considering these upgrades to her routines, which remains to be seen, keep reading to watch all of Biles's impressive new skills she debuted in 2020. And the year isn't even over yet! Maybe she has more up her athletically gifted sleeve.

Simone Biles's Yurchenko Double Pike

Before COVID-19 put a halt to Olympic training, Biles shared this video of herself doing a Yurchenko double pike. A Yurchenko entry on vault means a gymnast executes a roundoff onto the springboard and a back handspring onto the table before adding a flip off of the vault. The fact that she does a double pike (a backflip with straight legs in a piked position) out of this is incredible, and something you never see in women's gymnastics. According to sports journalist Blythe Lawrence, no woman has ever attempted the skill in competition [7].

Simone Biles's Triple-Double Beam Dismount

Biles next debuted a triple-twisting double backflip off of beam [8]. As a reminder, she got a triple-double named after her on floor [9] as well as a double-double beam dismount. This triple double dismount is one more twist than that double-double she already made history with at the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships [10]. It's connected to two back handsprings (one back handspring step-out and one regular back handspring to be exact).

Simone Biles's Double Layout Double Backflip

So, Biles said she hadn't done a double backflip since she was 13. Naturally, then, she does it at practice back in July but connects it to a double layout [11] (a double backflip in a laid-out position). We were speechless then and are still speechless now!

A New and Improved Tumbling Pass

This tumbling pass that Biles shared is a roundoff into a layout step-out with one-and-a-half twists into a roundoff, back handspring, and double layout. Got that?

Simone Biles's Triple Backflip

On National Gymnastics Day, Biles debuted something downright spectacular: a triple backflip (or a triple pike, to be specific). The skill does not currently exist in the Code of Points for women's gymnastics [12] and is only done by a handful of men on the elite level.

Bonus: Simone Biles Doing the Handstand Challenge

Biles spent time during lockdown perfecting this viral handstand challenge [13]. She removed her sweatpants all while balancing on her hands.

Extra Bonus: Simone Biles Working Out at Home

Watch Biles doing press handstands outside of the gym. She captioned this Instagram, "Stay home and stay focussed!"


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/skills-simone-biles-is-practicing-before-tokyo-olympics-48009062