?Expecting to Be Disappointed? Simone Biles Breaks Silence on International Gymnastics Federation at World Gymnastics Championships Selection Camp

At the 2023 Worlds and Pan Am Games Selection Camp in Katy, Texas, gymnastics glory unfolded. Simone Biles, the 7-time Olympic medalist on a full-speed-ahead mission back to the Olympic stage, faced massive hurdles. On Day 1 of the selection camp, Simone Biles had an unforeseen fall in the vault. The fall occurred when Biles performed her signature Yurchenko double pike (YDP). This was a shock for enthusiasts, as this move is her forte, with Biles being the only female gymnast ever performing it.

In the past, Biles has often faced the challenge of undervaluation in scores when performing the YDP, which has a difficulty of 6.6. However, despite the stumble, Biles earned a massive score of 14.550 on the vault, with a 6.4 for difficulty and an 8.650 for execution. After securing a historic sixth entry to the World Championships after the camp in Katy, Biles broke her silence with the International Gymnastics Federation.

Simone Biles ‘shocked’ at scores

In a post-event interview with USA Gymnastics, Biles broke her silence on her initial shock. When asked by the interview how she felt about receiving the 6.4 on vault Biles said, ?I was actually very surprised. They told it to me, my reaction was like okay? she said shrugging. Then upon realizing her score, she said, ?I was like wait what because I think I was expecting to be disappointed because in the past I mean we?ve asked for stuff and then you know you don?t get rewarded for it so we were actually very shocked?.

She continued saying, ?So I?m actually very happy about that.? she cracked a joke while saying, ?So maybe we should ask for higher!? Biles however stated that she is “pleased with the 6.4?. It is important to note that on vault at the trials, Biles received an ND – 0 . 5 0 0. However, this is not the first time that Biles got such a deduction.

In the past, Simone Biles has faced undervaluation of scores on YDP by the International Gymnastics Federation. At the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships 2023, Biles faced a similar deduction which stirred arguments that the scoring system was unfair.

How her scores have been deducted in the past?

At the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships 2023, Biles received a D/E: 6.4 / 9.800 on Day One with an ND of -0.5. This was because her coach, Laurent Landi standing on the podium to support her. The Yurchenko double pike is a move so dangerous that Biles is the only female gymnast to execute it. Hence, her coach was present. Many argued that they did not see the harm if her coach wasn’t touching her. However, this does go along the rules of the federation, which does not allow gymnasts to have their coaches on the podium for vault. But for uneven bars, they are allowed to ?spot?. However, Biles and her coach do not mind the deductions as long as they know she is protected.

Her coach Landi even said, ?If I have to step out, I will step out. But it will be on her terms?. The top all-around scorer of Day 1 at the trials in Katy would have the chance to get a direct entry into the roster for the World Championships, and Biles did not leave any stone unturned to seize this opportunity. After an initial setback in the first rotation on day 1, Biles soared to the top and secured an AA score of 5 5. 7 0 0. This gave Biles her ticket to her sixth World Championship, making her the first US woman ever to do so.

Read more: Despite Soaring After Heartbreaking ?Fall?, Simone Biles? Best-Friend Jordan Chiles? Gymnastics? Rise Not Enough for the World Gymnastics Championships

With the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships approaching from 30th September to 8th October in Antwerp Belgium, fans are excited to see their queen Biles grace the global stage once more and prove that she is a force to be reckoned with.

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