Simone Biles’ historic vault needs a deep rewind
You’ve probably heard the name “Yurchenko” a few times, and you probably have Biles to thank for that
Simone Biles is the GOAT. She knows that and, I think, everyone else who watches sports knows that, too.
So what’s left for a great to do if she’s already been crowned? Well, there are always new and terrifying ways to contort your body on a vault. And, Biles wanted to do just that. She borrowed from a very small pool of men who had tried a Yurchenko double pike before her and decided she wanted to do it, too. With that plan, she’d be the first woman in her sport to try it in a gymnastics competition. There’s some history behind this vault, though, and behind Biles’ return to competition after her five-medal Rio Olympic showing back in 2016.
In order to fully appreciate how hilarious it is that Biles is already considered the best up to this moment and she still went, “Nah, I can do more,” we need to rewind.