Simone Biles: Five gymnastics skills named after the American and their difficulty scores

Simone Biles continues to amaze people across the globe with her gymnastics skills. Not only is the American incredibly consistent, but she performs some of the most difficult routines in the sport, with some of the skills named after her earning the highest difficulty scores.

Since the start of Biles’ senior international career, the seven-time Olympic medalist has developed five unique skills which are now named after her. A gymnast has to perform the skill in an international competition for it to be named after them.

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Five gymnastics skills named after Simone Biles

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics - Day 4 (Source: GETTY)

#1 Biles II on Floor

The ‘Biles II on Floor’ has become one of Simone Biles’ signature moves after she first unveiled it at the 2019 U.S. Classics. She performed it in an international competition for the first time at the 2019 World Championships.

In this move, a triple-double, the 27-year-old flips twice whole, twisting three times in the air before landing on the ground. Biles was the first gymnast to perform this move and it was awarded a difficulty score of ‘J’, which is the highest a skill can get.

#2 Biles II on Vault

Simone Biles unveiled the ‘Biles II on Vault’ for the first time at the 2021 U.S. Classic but it was named after her after she performed it at the 2023 World Championships. In this move, which is called the Yurchenko double pike vault, Biles does a backflip off the vault followed by two full rotations in a pike position before landing on the mat.

The 27-year-old was the first gymnast to perform this skill in an international competition, and it is regarded as one of the most difficult vaults in women's gymnastics. She was awarded a difficulty score of 6.4 for the Yurchenko double pike.

#3 Biles on Beam

The ‘Biles on Beam’ is a double-twisting backflip that Simone Biles debuted for the first time at the 2019 US Gymnastics Championships. She later landed the move internationally at the same year's World Championships to officially get it included in the Code of Points.

The four-time Olympic champion was again the first gymnast to complete this move, and it was awarded a difficulty score of ‘H’.

#4 Biles on Floor

The ‘Biles on Floor’ was the first gymnastics skill named after Simone Biles, who has been regularly doing it since 2013. It is a double-back layout with a half twist and was named after her at the 2013 World Championships. In this move, the 27-year-old keeps her body straight and elongated while flipping twice in the air, and then makes a ‘blind landing’.

While Biles has kept improving its difficulty over the years, it is awarded a difficulty score of ‘G’, which is the third highest a skill can get.

#5 Biles on Vault

The ‘Biles on Vault’ is a Yurchenko half-on with two twists. Simone Biles does a round-off into a backhand hand-spring while making a half-turn. It is then followed by two twists in a somersault position to complete the move.

The move was performed by Biles for the first time at the 2018 World Team Trials and was later officially named after her at that year's World Championships. It was awarded a difficulty score of 6.