World Championships
Gymnastics superstar Biles makes a comeback at the World Cup with a new jump
Making her World Cup comeback: Simone Biles. photo
© Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP/dpa
Actually the jump is already old. But when US superstar Simone Biles shows it in Antwerp during her World Cup comeback, it is still new.
Her exit from the Tokyo Olympics was heartbreaking, now reversed Simone Biles returns to the world gymnastics stage.
Two years after the tearful exit from the Olympics due to mental problems, the US superstar is celebrating his comeback at the World Championships in Antwerp and wants to crown his return with a new element. The 26-year-old created a new jump combination three years ago, which she now finally wants to show at the World Cup level and thus have it recognized by the world association Fig: a Yurtschenko followed by a double somersault backwards.
“Biles II” beckons
If Biles completes the jump without falling, it would be named Biles II after her, after she had already demonstrated another then-new jump in 2018 that already bears her name. “Assessed at 6.4 points by the Technical Committee in anticipation of being shown at the World Championships in Antwerp, the Yurchenko double back somersault will be the most difficult jump in the women’s scoring guidelines,” the world federation said.
In order to be recognized and included in the points classification, new elements must be registered with the world association and then performed “without falling at a qualified, prestigious international competition such as the World Championships,” according to the Fig.
First presented in Indianapolis
Biles presented the jump, which begins with a wheel turn (Yurtchenko) onto the springboard, for the first time at a competition in spring 2021 in Indianapolis. It was expected that she would then show it on the international stage in Tokyo and thus receive recognition from the Fig. But because of her mental problems, the four-time Olympic champion dropped out of the team all-around event and then only competed on the balance beam.
The 19-time world champion had last performed her new jump eleven days before the start of the World Championships at the national World Championships in Katy, Texas, but over-extended it and only received 14,550 points. She now wants to do better at her first World Cup start since 2019 in Stuttgart.