PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 03: Simone Biles of Team United States prepares for her routine during the … [+]
Simone’s first vault is the highest-rated vault in the women’s Code of Points, carrying a difficulty score of 6.4. By comparison, Rebeca Andrade’s most difficult vault carries a difficulty of 5.6, giving Biles an eight-tenth buffer. Though technically known as the Yurchenko double pike, the skill carries Biles’ name after she was the first female athlete to successfully compete it at last year’s World Championships.
While Olympic gold medalist and star vaulter McKayla Maroney once floated the idea of training ‘YDP,’ it was ruled “too dangerous” by USA Gymnastics. No other athlete has attempted the skill, and for good reason.
ANTWERP, BELGIUM – OCTOBER 01: (COMPOSITE IMAGE) In this composite image, Simone Biles of Team … [+]
To complete the Yurchenko double pike (Biles II), Simone must perform a roundoff back-handspring onto the vault table, followed by two (and a half) backward somersaults in the piked position. In essence, Biles performs one more flip than her top competitors. The extra rotation renders the vault exponentially more difficult. Land short, and a lesser athlete could wind up on their neck.
In the 2021 Facebook Watch docu-series “Simone vs. Herself,” Biles admitted to the danger underlying her fifth eponymous skill. “The scariest thing for me off the table is making sure I have a good grip on my leg,” she shared. “Because, if not, it can slip, and then that’s when the mistakes usually happen.”
Despite the risks, Biles makes the hardest skill in women’s gymnastics look as easy as a single flip. In Saturday’s vault final, Biles competed the skill as her first vault (of two), posting a staggering 15.700. Just like that – gold was unreachable for the rest of the field, including the defending vault World Champion Andrade.
Her completion of the dangerous skill was also a game changer in Thursday’s all-around competition. Much like the event final, the Yurchenko double pike vaulted Simone seven tenths ahead of Andrade. Without the seven-tenth buffer, the outcome of the competition may have fared differently. Simone’s backup vault, a Cheng, is the same as Andrade’s and carries a difficulty score of 5.6.
Throughout these games, Andrade’s “Cheng” has outscored Biles’ by around .200. Thus, without the Yurchenko double pike, Andrade hypothetically would gain almost a full point back on Biles. For reference, Biles edged Andrade for the all-around title by 1.199. Subtract .900, and you have a very different ballgame.
Though a full-point differential is far from a close finish, it was among the closest any athlete had come to Biles and her dominance. While the American great prevailed, she reflected on the nerve wracking finish in a post-meet presser, telling media that Andrade was “way too close” for comfort. “I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes,” Biles added.
After Biles’ uncharacteristic mistake on bars, the Biles II became all-the-more integral towards securing the all-around win. While Biles responded emphatically on beam to pull ahead, she was only leading Andrade 44.065 to 43.899 heading to floor. Add the nine hypothetical tenths back (had Biles competed the Cheng instead), and Andrade goes to floor – one of her strongest events – with a lead of .734. In translation: subtract the Yurchenko double pike and Rebeca Andrade might have become Brazil’s first Olympic All-Around Champion.
Though Brazilian fans dreamed of this alternate outcome, Simone’s athletic prowess cannot be topped. While both gymnasts will go down as historic greats in the sport, Biles’ ability to execute the hardest vault in women’s gymnastics proved to be more than impressive – it might have saved all-around and vault gold.
