Gymnastics enthusiasts, fasten your seat belts! The World Artistic Gymnastics Championship has returned for its season, and teams around the world are racing to claim the titles. The defending champion, Team USA, stands as strong as ever, with athletes like Simone Biles, Shilese Jones, and Zoe Miller gearing up for a competitive environment at the World Gymnastics Championships, set to begin on September 30th.

On Saturday, the 30th, Antwerp, Belgium, will host the most awaited gymnastics event of the year. Teams will compete for a chance to secure a ticket to the Paris Olympics 2024, and there’s one more goal players are aiming for. The reigning queen of gymnastics, Simone Biles, has her eyes set on more than just the set events. As the team moves to defend its title, Simone will also strive to establish individual names.

Simone Biles to strive for a new element

The name Simone Biles has undoubtedly echoed through the gymnastics industry. The world champion has forged her path to the pinnacle of the sport. With 25 World Championship medals under her belt, she stands as the most decorated gymnast in the history of the Gymnastics World Championships. As she heads to Antwerp, the place holds special memories for this gymnastics icon.

Back in 2013, Simone won four medals at Antwerp, including two gold. Now, returning to her initial grounds, Simone is aiming for something big. As reported by Gymnastics Sports, Simone Biles has submitted an evaluation to get a new element named after her. Biles has chosen the Yurchenko double pike vault, something she has performed multiple times at the domestic level, according to Gymnast Sport.

The Yurchenko double pike vault considered the hardest vault in the women’s Code of Points, will require Simone to perform without a fall to succeed. While Biles already has a different original vault — a roundoff, a half twist on, front layout double twist off – named after her, will she succeed in having the new element named Biles II?

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However, Biles isn’t the only competitor looking to score at the World Gymnastics Championship. Simone Biles’ teammate, Shilese Jones also hopes for a good run at the 9-day-long event.

Shilese Jones aims to stand worthy of the rising star

The 21-year-old gymnast has steadily ascended to the sporting peak. Starting with her debut at the American Classic in 2014, Shilese has climbed from 29th to 17th and further up to the 6th spot on vault. Since entering notable events in 2018, Shilese has amassed multiple medals. The young sensation, who participated in the 2018 Pan American Championships and the 2022 World Championships, contributed to the gold-winning team. However, her achievements extend beyond her team efforts.

At the 2022 event, Shilese claimed silver in both the 2022 World all-around and the 2022 World uneven bars. Now, as she heads towards the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, Jones aims to make a name for herself once again. During the gymnastics event, Shilese hopes to establish a triple turn with the leg held horizontally on the Floor Exercise. Shilese showcased this move at last month’s U.S. Championships. With her element being rated ‘E’ on a difficulty scale from A to J, Jones, as well as other performers incorporating the element, will earn 0.5.

As they work to establish their individual standings, the team stands to benefit greatly. A gold for the team would propel it to be the strongest it has ever been.

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