Team USA women’s gymnastics is heading to the Paris Olympics with two Olympic all-around juggernauts, Suni Lee and Simone Biles. While personal ambitions might be brewing between them, these women are all about team spirit when it counts. However, when it comes to the vault, Suni Lee leaves the rivalry to Simone Biles and reigning Olympic and World Champion Rebeca Andrade.

In a candid Instagram video shared by USA Gymnastics and Team USA, fans caught a glimpse of the team heading to the Paris Olympics, chatting with Trinity Thomas at the 2024 US Olympic trials. When Thomas asked about their individual goals for Paris, Suni Lee chuckled and said, “Hit every single routine.” Simone Biles chimed in, “Contribute to the team!” Lee laughed again and added, “Oh yeah! Contribute to the team. Not on vault though,” eyeing Biles and getting a laugh from Jade Carey.

When it comes to domestic competitions on American soil, no one comes close to Simone Biles on vault. Even at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships, despite a stumble on her Biles II (Yurchenko Double Pike) in the finals—a slip that cost her a full point—she still clinched the vault title by nearly half a point, boasting an impressive difficulty score of 6.4.

Looking ahead to international competition, especially the Olympics, Simone Biles faces tough competition from Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. In preparation for this showdown, Biles is upping the ante by adding new, more challenging elements to her vault routine.

Rebeca Andrade leveling up her vault to challenge Suni Lee, Simone Biles, and Team USA at the Paris Olympics

25-year-old Rebeca Andrade, the first Brazilian female gymnast Olympian, is a phenom after winning two medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. At the upcoming Paris Olympics, she and Biles are gearing up for a showdown across multiple events, including the all-around, vault, and floor finals. While they’ve faced each other before, Paris marks their first Olympic clash when both are at their peak.

Biles, known for her groundbreaking vault skills on the Code of Points like the Biles (difficulty value: 6.00) and Biles II (difficulty value: 6.4), has set a high bar with her Yurchenko double pike, the most challenging vault in women’s gymnastics. But now Andrade is teasing a never-before-seen triple-twisting Yurchenko, aiming to close the difficulty gap with Biles.

Andrade’s potential triple-twisting Yurchenko could earn her a difficulty score of 5.8, lower than the 6.4 earned by Biles for her YDP, known as Biles II, since the 2023 World Championships. To date, no female gymnast has successfully executed the triple Yurchenko in international competition, although North Korean gymnast Hong Un-jong attempted it first at the 2016 Games. If Andrade nails it in Paris, she’ll secure her place in gymnastics history, with the vault bearing her name in the Code of Points.

With the stakes rising and Olympic champions gearing up to battle for gold, Team USA is relying on top performances from its women. Suni Lee’s decision to let Biles lead the charge on Vault reflects their shared goal of turning dreams into reality. What do you think about Suni Lee’s strategy? Drop your thoughts in the comments!