The only person Simone Biles has to compete against is herself. The gymnast—who took home gold in the individual all-around, team all-around, vault, and floor at the 2016 Olympic games—is the most decorated American gymnast, and she keeps raising the bar (pun intended) on what’s possible during these competitions.
During the U.S. Gymnastics Championships this weekend, Biles made history when she became the first woman to ever hit a triple double, meaning a double back flip with three twists, on floor during a competition. She attempted the move during her floor routine at the championships on Friday and had an uneasy landing when she had to put both hands on the ground to steady herself. But she went for it again on Sunday and stuck the landing.
According to the New York Times, Biles has called the triple double”the hardest move in the world.” As the Timesreports: “The triple double is a skill that, until this point, had been done only on the men’s side, where it is still rare. None of the men at the national championships are expected to try one, and most of Biles’s competitors can’t even do a double double.”
The 22-year-old finished the weekend with a gold medal on floor, vault, and beam, as well as third place on bars. While on beam, she also made
history when she became the first person to land a double-double dismount (aka a “double-twisting, double-somersault”) off the beam.
Biles also won the U.S. all-around title, making this the sixth time she’s been given the award.
The gymnast is truly in a league of her own, and while we’re still a year out from the 2020 Olympic games, Biles’s performance is only upping the anticipation.
