Simone Biles returned to the international gymnastics after becoming the first woman in history to land the most difficult element in the vault discipline, previously only performed by men. This happened during the world championships in Antwerp (Belgium), where she decisively won the first place in the ladies’ all-around.
In qualifying, the 26-year-old American gymnast pulled off a perfect straight leg double spin, known as the Yurchenko move, landing it just one step back. Thus, the element will now be known in the rules as Biles II in her honor.
With that effort, Simone Biles scored 15.266 points and led the all-around with a total of 58.865 points after placing first on floor, vault and beam. She finished second only in the mixed parallel bars behind compatriot Shilese Jones.
This is Simone Biles’ first international competition in more than two years since she withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to mental health issues. This year, she also became the first gymnast to represent the USA at six consecutive world championships.
There are two other floor elements named after her, one on vault and one on beam. Simone Biles is the most successful gymnast in history with a total of 25 World Finals medals as well as seven Olympic Games medals.