In sports, some feats are difficult to perform. Competitors generally leave them out during competitions as the chances of mistakes rise with the difficulty level. However, it does not stop some from achieving greatness through these moves. Simone Biles landed a similar move last year during a prominent gymnastics tournament in the US.
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In 2021, Biles performed the Yurchenko double pike vault move at the GK US Classic in Indianapolis. After landing it successfully, she became the first woman to do so at a meet.
The move requires a round-off entry with a half twist onto the springboard, followed by a back handspring onto the vaulting table. It concludes with a piked double backflip into the air before landing.
Biles pulls off the Yurchenko double pike vault
This move is so strenuous that only five men have performed it successfully in previous meets. The technicality involved with pulling it off is sufficient to make athletes second guess this option. Hence, it is rightly dubbed the world?s most difficult vault.
However, this did not stop Simone Biles from performing this move at the 2021 US Classic. Biles, donning her rhinestone-speckled goat leotard, landed the Yurchenko double pike vault successfully at the meet. However, the seven-time Olympic medalist concluded with a slightly imperfect landing by making two additional hops.
The first woman in history to land a Yurchenko double pike in competition.
Our jaws are on the floor. @Simone_Biles is still in the air. #USClassic pic.twitter.com/CmJYRidtfo
? Team USA (@TeamUSA) May 23, 2021
Earlier, the gymnast made the headlines after showing off the move during podium training. Speaking with media personnel after training, Biles had said, ?I was like, ?It?s ok, I?ve done this so many times, I?ve been doing this for months now.’?
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Previously, Biles indicated that she was practicing the Yurchenko double pike when she posted a video of her performing the move into a foam pit in February 2020.
However, the legendary gymnast confirmed her plan to include the move in tournaments in April last year. She was pulling off the move in all its difficulty without breaking a sweat a month later. The GK US Classic preceded the Tokyo Olympics by about two months.
Did Simone Biles perform the move at the Tokyo Olympics?
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There were a lot of speculations from fans and competitors regarding Simone Biles performing it at the Games. The GOAT did not perform the move at the events, owing to her withdrawing from most events at the meet. However, Simone pulled off the Yurchenko double pike vault during a podium training session at the Games.
Although Biles started practicing the vault even before the Rio Olympics, she did not intend to perform it in tournaments at the time.
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The two-time Olympian defended her previous all-around title at the 2021 GK US Classic by securing 58.400 at the meet. Moreover, Biles obtained the highest score in both balance beam (14.850) and floor exercise (14.250) at the meet.