It would be a remarkable breakthrough, since Biles had no intention of attempting a new element here. If Biles could master an innovative element on each apparatus, it would further solidify her reputation as the best gymnast in the world. A virtuoso performance on bars is one of the few accomplishments Biles does not have. Submitting an element for evaluation does not guarantee that a gymnast will attempt it.
If Biles manages to land the move at any stage in Paris, it will be the sixth move named after her. Biles already has moves named after her in every event except bars, her weakest event and the only one in which she is not likely to compete for the gold medal.
The trick consists of a clear forward hip circle followed by one and a half rotations. Biles holds her hands upside down, casts into a handstand, and drops her body so that her hips are over the bar. She circles the bar once, then returns to a handstand position, finishing with one and a half rotations. Biles has long performed a variation of this element called the Weiler Kip, which is just a clear forward hip circle followed by a half rotation.
The international rulebook's “points code” assigns each skill a letter rating, with an A being the easiest. The move that will soon be known as “Biles on Bars” received an E rating, meaning it will add 0.5 points to Biles' difficulty score, slightly higher than the 0.4-point version she's performed for years. Biles did not practice the new skill during Thursday's training session at the Bercy Arena.
Biles' biggest challenger, Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, has also applied to have a move named after her. She may perform a triple Yurchenko on the vault. Some top gymnasts, including Biles and Andrade, have done it with 2 1/2 revolutions, but no woman has mastered the triple. Andrade's new vault has a difficulty rating of 6.0, not far from Biles' Yurchenko double pike, the most difficult vault in women's gymnastics, which has a rating of 6.4.
Andrade did not attempt the triple twist vault in practice on Thursday, but if she can land it in competition, it will put her in a better position to challenge Biles on the vault and in the all-around.
