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Simone Biles The Olympics Gold Medalist 6 Year Old Me Will Be proud many More details hereš
In 2019, Simone Biles became the first woman gymnast to land a triple-double in her floor routine ā thatās a triple-twisting double backflip, if youāre unfamiliar.
The move has since become a staple in her competitive performances, and as of June 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, no other woman has completed the move (though American gymnasts Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner have both trained it, according to videos theyāve posted). The triple-double is considered such a hallmark of Bilesās abilities that itās even been named after her: the Biles II.
The triple-double is always met with enthusiasm by commentators and the crowd. But itās a blink-and-you-miss-it moment ā itās over so fast, and sheās twisting so much it can be hard to even wrap your mind around what sheās doing. So, hereās why the triple-double is such a big deal.
What Is the Triple-Double?
Flips and twists are nothing new to the sport of gymnastics, but this particular combo is truly jaw-dropping. Itās been 31 years since Romanian gymnast Daniela Silivas first stuck a double-double on floor (a move still colloquially referred to as the Silivas), which requires a gymnast to complete two backflips in a tucked position, twisting once on each flip. The triple-double adds a third twist, an achievement that had only been seen in menās gymnastics until Bilesās feet touched down on the mat at the 2019 US Gymnastics Championships.
Side note: In 2021, American gymnast Jade Carey was training a laid-out triple-double, but she never debuted it, later saying in an interview with Inside Gymnastics Magazine, āthat ship has sailedā and that sheās āa little bit scared now. Itās a little bit hard.ā
The triple-double (aka the Biles II) is a move that requires incredible, almost superhuman strength, coordination, and training. To perform it, Biles is flipping her body around two axes at the same time: twice front to back, and three times sideways. Wired broke down the physics of Bilesās triple-double, noting that sheās only in the air for 1.18 seconds. She starts to rotate before sheās even in the air, then tucks her body and moves her arms to create something called angular momentum, which powers her through the twists.
How Is the Triple-Double Scored?
After Biles successfully landed the skill at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the move was given a formal scoring value of one point. That makes it the most difficult element in womenās gymnastics, and itās just one more way Biles has completely changed the game.
Simone Biles The Olympics Gold Medalist 6 Year Old Me Will Be proud many More details here