Simone Biles Will Try Risky New Skill at Paris Olympics After ‘Unreal’ Vault

It’s shaping up to be quite an Olympics for Simone Biles, as she intends to perform a new “original” skill on the uneven bars at the Paris Olympics that will be named for her if she successfully completes it, according to the International Gymnastics Federation.

That announcement comes the day after Biles nailed a practice vault in Paris with such technical efficiency on July 25 that USA Gymnastics called it “unreal” when sharing the video on X.

The new skill will be on the uneven bars.

In a July 26 press release, the Federation announced that Biles is one of several gymnasts “aiming to have new elements named for them at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

Biles submitted an original skill on the Uneven Bars to the FIG Women’s Technical Committee Thursday, making her one of four female gymnasts who may attempt new elements during the Olympics,” the release says

According to the Federation, the new skill “is a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns (540 degrees) to handstand, a variation of an element named for Wilhelm Weiler (CAN), which Biles has performed for much of her career.”

The release notes that Biles is likely to try to move at the beginning of her routine, adding that the Technical Committee has rated its difficulty as an E on a scale from A to J, giving the skill a value of “0.5 in difficulty.”

According to the Federation’s news release, five other elements are already named for Biles, “including two vaults, two tumbling skills on Floor Exercise and a dismount on Balance Beam.” Gymnast Nellie Kim has more, with seven.

The skill won’t be named for Biles unless she performs it during competition in Paris “without a major fault,” the release says.

Other gymnasts in Paris are also attempting new skills, according to the release.

They include Rebeca Andrade (BRA), Lieke Wevers (NED), and Naomi Visser (NED), according to the release