Simone Biles Makes History With the 'Hardest Move in the World' at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships
The only person Simone Biles has to compete against
is herself. The gymnast—who took home gold in the individual
all-around, team all-around, vault, and floor at the 2016 Olympic
games—is the most decorated American gymnast, and she keeps raising the
bar (pun intended) on what's possible during these competitions.
During
the U.S. Gymnastics Championships this weekend, Biles made history when
she became the first woman to ever hit a triple double, meaning a
double back flip with three twists, on floor during a competition. She
attempted the move during her floor routine at the championships on
Friday and had an uneasy landing when she had to put both hands on the
ground to steady herself. But she went for it again on Sunday and stuck
the landing:
According to the New York Times, Biles has called the triple double "the hardest move in the world." As the Times reports: "The triple double is a skill that, until this point, had been done only on the men’s side, where it is still rare. None of the men at the national championships are expected to try one, and most of Biles’s competitors can't even do a double double."
If you're still confused as to what exactly Biles is doing, watch the move in slow motion:
The 22-year-old finished the weekend with a gold medal on floor, vault, and beam, as well as third place on bars. While on beam, she also made history when she became the first person to land a double-double dismount (aka a "double-twisting, double somersault") off the beam.
Here's what that looks like:
And in slow motion
Biles also won the U.S. all-around title, making this the sixth time she's been given the award.
@Simone_Biles is the first woman in nearly 70 YEARS to win 6 U.S. all-around titles
That's it. That's the meet. #USGymChamps
The gymnast is truly in a league of her own, and while we're still a
year out from the 2020 Olympic games, Biles's performance is only upping
the anticipation.
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