Rest in peace to Simone Biles’ signature vault routine.
This week, the Olympic gold medalist bid farewell to the “world’s most difficult vault” in a satirical Instagram photoshoot. To announce that she will no longer perform the Yurchenko double pike vault, also known as the “Biles II,” the Olympian staged a “funeral,” posing on the vault in an all-white tracksuit surrounded by an array of white flowers.
“Rest in peace Yurchenko double pike,” Biles captioned the post.
According to NBC Sports analyst and former Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, the Yurchenko double pike is one of the most difficult moves in the sport, requiring immense strength and technique.
“The only way I could describe this vault compared to what we typically see is like seeing someone put on a mask and being like, ‘I’m a vigilante,’ versus just Ironman,” Hernandez told Today.com. “You have to be strong so that way you’re able to brace for impact. You have to be strong so that way you can hit the table, tighten up and get enough height to add one more flip, and then be really smart in the air and have a sense of air awareness that Simone is known for having…I cannot express this enough, this is really hard. It’s extremely difficult.”
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Biles stunned fans when she successfully stuck the move for the first time in May 2021 at the GK U.S. Classic. Her execution of the unprecedented move helped her earn the all-around title in that competition. However, while competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic), Biles had to withdraw from the final competition after experiencing “the twisties” during her vault performance. The “twisties,” which she describes as a moment “when your mind and your body are at a disconnect,” is a gymnastics-related phenomenon that can lead to severe injuries.
Overcoming the twisties, Biles successfully performed the move again at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Belgium, leading fans to rename the vault move in her honor. That same move helped Biles win three gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Though the gymnast’s followers were shocked by her decision to no longer do the move, they loved Biles’ comedic announcement.
“Gone, but literally never forgotten,” USA Gymnastics commented under the post.
Though Biles has not confirmed whether or not she will participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, she says her plans for the near future are “to relax and see where life takes [her].” In the meantime, she is encouraging fans to tune in to the 2024 Paralympic Games, currently in progress in Paris.
