Simone Biles Submits New Skill For Uneven Bars Ahead Of Paris Games
Simone Biles is set to make history once again at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced that Biles has submitted a new skill on the uneven bars for evaluation.
Biles aims for first skill named after her on the uneven bars
This skill, a Weiler-kip with a one-and-a-half pirouette, could be named after her if she successfully performs it during the competition. The Weiler-kip involves a forward circle around the bar before shooting up to a handstand, and Biles's new variation adds a 540-degree turn to the move. USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, recently teased the move in a video on X.
If successful, this will be Biles’s first element named after her on the uneven bars and her sixth overall. She already has five elements named after her across other apparatuses: two on vault, two on floor exercise, and one on balance beam.
No current gymnast has a skill named after them on all four apparatuses, a feat only previously achieved by Svetlana Khorkina. Biles is on track to become the only active gymnast with this accomplishment.
The new skill has been given an "E" rating by the FIG, which means it holds a 0.5 difficulty value on a scale from A to J. This rating reflects the complexity and technical demand of the element. Her attempt to perform this skill adds to the excitement and anticipation for the women's gymnastics qualifications starting on Sunday.
Despite uneven bars being considered her "weakest" event, Biles remains one of the top American gymnasts on bars. She has won 37 Olympic and world championship medals, although only one of those is from the uneven bars. Chellsie Memmel, USA Gymnastics co-lead, hinted that Biles might be given a rest from bars during the team finals to help her manage the Olympic schedule.
Brazilian and Dutch Gymnasts Aims For News Skills At Olympics
Simone Biles is not the only gymnast attempting new skills at the Paris Games. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade aims to perform a new vault to defend her gold medal from Tokyo, while Dutch gymnasts Naomi Visser and Lieke Wevers have submitted a triple-turn on the floor exercise.
