While gymnastics icon Simone Biles changed the trajectory of the sport, not all of her 11 Olympic and 30 World Championship medals came from resilience, hard work and unmatched generational talent alone.

Adding to her status as the greatest gymnast of all time are the 5 critical gymnastics moves, named after her. So, to celebrate the gymnast more than she already has been, let’s take a look at all these moves that are synonymous with Biles.

The Biles (Floor)

Starting with the first skill named after her, this is a double layout with a half-twist in the second flip. A 16-year-old Biles took the world by storm when she performed it for the first time at the 2013 Worlds.

In the 2024 Paris Games, Panamanian gymnast Hillary Heron became the first gymnast other than Biles herself to pull this move as a part of her floor routine. Talk about one of the best tributes ever!

The Biles (Vault)

A half-twist onto the vaulting table and a front double full somersault off was Biles’ 2^nd gift to the gymnastics world. At 21, Biles executed this move at the 2018 Worlds, and its difficulty rating was originally 6.4.

However, per the current Code of Points, it was downgraded to 6.0, but remains an iconic element, nonetheless.

The Biles II (Floor)

The 2019 World Championship was notable not only because Biles surpassed Belarusian former artistic gymnast Vitaly Scherbo’s 23-medal count by owning 25 herself. But also, because of the Biles II she pulled on the floor.

This triple-double move consists of two flips and three twists, and carries a J difficulty rating, the highest in the Code of Points for women’s gymnastics.

The Biles (Beam)

If those floor and vault moves weren’t impressive enough, Biles also got a beam move named after her at the 2019 Worlds. This is a dismounting move from the balance beam, finishing off with two twists and two flips.

With a difficulty rating of H, the Biles (Beam) is also currently the highest-rated skill performed on the balance beam. 

The Biles II (Vault)

In the 2023 Worlds, Biles defied age and time, solidifying her GOAT status once more. The then 26-year-old pulled off a Yurchenko-style vault with two flips in a pike position, the Biles II (Vault).

The audience at the 2024 Paris Games witnessed her performing this during the all-around final and clinching an individual gold. It added to her haul of 2 more gold and a silver.

The potential 6^th move

Biles’ 6^th move is on her weakest apparatus, the uneven bars. It is a hip circle forward with 1.5 turns to a handstand. However, the gymnast has only submitted it and not performed it during either team competition or the individual all-around.

But if approved, she’ll become the only female gymnast with an eponymous skill on every apparatus. 

With that being said, which one of these 5 moves is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy