Simone Biles’ complete domination of gymnastics continued at the 2020 U.S. Classic, her first competition since 2019. In addition to winning the all-around title despite making a handful of mistakes in her floor and uneven bars routine, Biles debuted a never-before-seen vault that has never been attempted in women’s competition ever.
The vault, called a Yurchenko double pike, requires a back handspring off the vault and two complete flips with the knees kept straight. It’s named after Natalia Yurchenko, a Russian gymnast who performed a version of the move with a single flip, but Biles is the first female gymnast to perform it with two. Previously, the double pike had only been performed by men.
Fittingly, Biles performed the impressive move in a new leotard decorated with a tiny rhinestone goat, because she is in fact the GOAT.
This is not the first time Biles’ excellence has made history and potentially changed her sport, as the signature floor moves she performed at the 2019 gymnastics world competition in Stuttgart were named after her: The Biles and the Biles II.
The U.S. Classic is a lead-up competition to the U.S. Championships and Olympic trials, all essential competitions for Biles to get back in the game before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which will be the athlete’s last Olympic games in her career.