Being one of the few male gymnasts who pulled off the Yurchenko double pike, aka, Biles II, Paul Juda decided against using the move at the US Olympic trials. The high-risk high reward move may have appealed to him as he targeted a first Olympics appearance. However, the University of Michigan alum opted to keep things simple and later explained why he skipped the signature Simone Biles move.

On June 29, Paul Juda was in tears after securing his place at the Paris Olympics. The 23-year-old was placed fourth with 168.850 points at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials and achieved his childhood dream. One of the key strategies he deployed in his routine at the trials was to resist the temptation to try the Yurchenko double pike and go for a perfect Kas 1.5.

In an interview with NBC, Paul Juda said, “For this trials, I knew that I could score very well with a simpler vault simply because of my clean and consistent nature on the vault.” For the Yurchenko double pike, the gymnast will round off onto the springboard, followed by a back handspring onto the vault. Then there’s a launch into two full rotations in a pike position before landing. This move gives the performer a high difficulty score if landed correctly. However, there is a high risk of injury as well.

Juda added, “But yeah, it’s a tough fall. And I can’t say it enough; it really is a bit scary too. I’ve talked to Simone before. We’ve both said that it’s a bit of a scary vault. I actually had to discontinue training the vault after the World Championships to lessen harm on my elbows. It’s very, very grueling … it takes a lot of impact.”

Reaction Info: Will Paul Juda perform the Yurchenko double pike in Paris? React!

Paul considers the Yurchenko double pike one of his hardest skills. However, at the trials, he did not attempt it, though he did perform it during the World Championships last year. The move earned him high scores, and the USA male gymnastics team was able to secure a bronze medal rather effortlessly. This time, however, with a lot at stake, Juda stuck to the old-school simple vault and it proved to be enough.

“I only had one goal, and it was to hit all my routines and leave here healthy,” he said after the event, as he soaked in the adulation of his achievement.

Landing a perfect Kas 1.5 earned him an overall score of 14.700. With a score of 168.850 points, he was placed fourth. Additionally, he secured 2nd place on the floor exercise, 3rd place on the pommel horse, and 4th place on the vault. He also placed fifth on the high bars. He went 12-for-12 in his routines, greatly increasing his chance to get the golden ticket.

The success he had was a culmination of a childhood dream. The Chicago native was hardly able to control his emotions after securing his berth to Paris.

Paul Juda overcome with emotion after trial success

When his name was announced at the end of the gymnastics trials in Target Centre, Minneapolis, Paul Juda, burst into tears and was overwhelmed by emotions. He is now one of the five men chosen to represent the U.S. in Paris. Paul expressed how it was an important part of his career checklist. 

“I was the first name called, and the second I heard ‘Pa—,’ I started crying right away,” Juda said. Actually, on New Year’s Day this year, Juda wrote on his market board, “Become an Olympian,” but considered erasing at one point.

“I had fell short on a couple other goals that I wrote on that whiteboard and I was starting to think if I should erase the one that said Olympian because I guess maybe it won’t come true. But I’m going home and I’m putting a massive check mark on there,” he said after qualifying for Paris Olympics.

The victory is even sweeter considering he narrowly missed making the team back in 2020 for the Tokyo Games. Paul Juda’s Olympic aspiration isn’t just a personal career goal, it also stems from his patriotism.

He mentioned to the Daily Herald, “I love this country with my heart and soul. I do everything in my life to try to create the future I want to try to have in this country.” The Olympic dream became even more challenging when multiple injuries in the past two years forced him to miss his senior season at the University of Michigan.

He did claim the 2022 NCAA all-around title. This year, he’s training under Yuan Xiao, who is a former gymnast himself. The two focused on clean execution and higher quality of performance. This approach has certainly benefited him, as he will be joining Asher Hong, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, and Fred Richard on the team.

Now, the question remains: Will Juda attempt the Yurchenko move in Paris?