[Exclusive] Shilese Jones’s Coach On Simone Biles Spotting Deduction Decision: ”It’s Silly”

Simone Biles‘ 2023 comeback saw her reclaim the National and World Championship All-Around titles. Not only that, during the World Championships in Antwerp, she became the first woman to land a Yurchenko double pike vault at a World Championship. However, since she had her coach watch out for her as a spotter, it lead to a point deduction, something that led to a lot of debate.

Now in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Shilese Jones’s coach, Sarah Korngold, weighed in on Laurent Landi’s spotting on the podium and the reduction of Biles’s points.

Biles’ Yurchenko double pike vault at the World Championships, now known as Biles II, is officially the most challenging vault in women’s gymnastics, with a difficulty score of 6.4 points. With this, she also added a fifth eponymous skill to the FIG’s Code of Points. But despite this monumental achievement, there was strife over a 0.5 neutral deduction Biles received whenever her coach, Laurent Landi, spotted her during the vault for safety purposes.

Shilese Jones’ coach, Sarah Korngold, opened up to EssentiallySports about why the point deduction Simone Biles received last year doesn’t make sense. She said, “I think it’s like a slippery slope, right? We are allowed to stand there for bars and spot everything. And so that’s allowed.”

In women’s artistic gymnastics, spotters are only allowed on uneven bars without an automatic deduction (unless the coach touches the athlete). However, on vault, beam, and floor, having a spotter is an automatic deduction.

Given the extreme difficulty and danger of the Yurchenko double pike, using a spotter for safety seems logical. Despite this, Biles received the deduction each time Laurent Landi spotted her. Highlighting Biles’ capabilities, Korngold felt that the spotter is there for only safety reasons, “And then Laurent standing on the podium for Simone, like obviously she was so capable. He wasn’t there because she was doing something she couldn’t do or shouldn’t have been doing, right? It was literally just worst case scenario, I can jump in. And so in those situations, I see no harm, right?”

Korngold compared this to the past, when the double front vault was very popular and some athletes who weren’t ready tried it, which she didn’t like seeing. She told EssentiallySports, “I didn’t like watching it. So I don’t know. It’s a slippery slope. I think in the case of Simone, it was very clear that he wasn’t doing anything to help her. She was so capable of that vault. And so I think it’s silly they took the deduction, but like the rules are the rules. I don’t know the answer.”

Biles performed the vault at three U.S. meets last year, and each time she incurred a half-point deduction as one of her coaches spotted her. Biles and her coach persisted with having a spotter despite knowing very well it would lead to a deduction. For Laurent Landi and his wife Cecile, who is also a coach to Biles, the safety of the gymnast takes priority.

There is another argument against having a spotter, as many believe the camera view is blocked as a result of having a coach nearby the landing mat.

Coach Korngold, however, thought these claims were unfounded, since additional cameras could easily be placed to ensure comprehensive coverage. She admitted that allowing spotters for vaults might lead to them being used in other events like beam dismounts or tumbling passes. She explained, “And I also can see where people would maybe take that rule and allow their athletes to do things that maybe they aren’t as prepared to do. And that’s not the nature of the rule.”

Biles has put up impressive performances this year, winning all-around events at Core Hydration Classic and US Championships. As she prepares for Paris, she is keen not to have Laurent Landi on the mat while she practices the Yurchenko Double Pike, in order to avoid a repeat of the World Championships point deduction.

Normally, the Code of Points book is updated for each Olympic cycle. But so far there has been no update with Paris Olympics around the corner. Biles’s hopes of receiving a reprieve over using a spotter in Paris were also dashed when the president of the women’s technical committee, Donatella Sacchi said, “We are not going to change any rule before the Olympic Games.” 

The debate over this rule is not new and even Cecile Landi expressed her frustration with the deduction, calling it “dumb.”

Cecile Landi, defends her husband, Laurent Landi’s protective spotting of their prodigy

Cecile Landi appeared on the All Things Gymnastics podcast on May 13 and expressed frustration with the deduction system. She highlighted the inconsistency of allowing coaches to be present for bars but not for vaults or beam dismounts, where the risks are equally high.

She shared, “Yeah, it’s, it’s such a dumb deduction too. Like honestly when you see on bars the coaches and they’re doing hint signal and stuff and this and then you can’t have anybody on a vault like this or even on a vem dismount, I’m sorry. It would’ve saved maybe a few concussions and injuries if people were able to stay.” But the support of the decision extends beyond Simone’s coaches.

Chellsie Memmel, the technical lead of the U.S. high-performance staff, also supported the idea that Biles’ safety should be the top priority, saying, “My personal opinion is that he (Laurent Landi) should be able to stand there.” Now, in 2024, Biles has been performing Biles II without Landi’s spot, marking a significant milestone in her journey.

The 2024 Core Hydration Classic saw her execute the vault unassisted, a testament to her readiness and growth. Cecile Landi acknowledged this shift, saying, “She’s been doing it without him for a while now.” Landi continued sharing how Biles now feels ready, saying, “Honestly she was ready last year, I think Laurent was not ready last year. Let’s put it that way,” Cecile stated.

Reflecting on this journey, we can see how much Simone Biles has grown this year. And now even her tough competitor, Shilese Jones’s coach, Sarah Korngold, has acknowledged her dominance.

What do you think about Sarah Korngold’s words to EssentiallySports and Biles’ journey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!