Simone Biles does not need to compete at a gymnastics event to attract attention. Her skills continue to make headlines, even when she is not competing. At the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, multiple men gymnasts trying to copy her difficult moves have once again brought attention to her incredible abilities.
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Several gymnastics skills are named after Simone Biles. One of the most famous is the Biles II on floor exercise, also known as the triple-double. In this move, a gymnast performs two backward flips and three twists in the air. Partly in tribute to Biles, several male gymnasts tried to perform the skill at the World Championships in Rotterdam.
Unfortunately, they all struggled to pull it off. Their attempts showed just how challenging the skill is, even for trained athletes. It also highlighted why Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Euro Vision Sport shared the clip on Instagram with multiple male gymnasts trying to perform Biles’ skill.
The move requires great height, speed, body control, and perfect timing. Even a small mistake can make the landing difficult. If a gymnast loses control or fails to complete the twists in time, they may struggle to land safely.
Earlier, in September 2024, Simone Biles has spoken openly about the fear she feels while performing the Yurchenko double pike, also known as the Biles II. In the Netflix documentary Simone Biles Rising, she explained how she feels when she performs this skill.
“And it’s every time you do it, you’re scared,” Biles said in a Netflix documentary, reported by LA Times. “Probably done 100 Yurchenko double pikes, and the first one and then the last one I’ve done, they all feel the same — scary.”
Her coaches have also talked about the risks of this vault. In a 2021 interview with 60 Minutes, reported by CBS News, Laurent Landi said, “It’s very, very challenging. And what’s scary, it’s that people can get hurt, you know? You do a short landing, you can hurt your ankles, and then– you know– it’s– it’s a very dangerous vault.”
Experts have also questioned the difficulty score given to the skill. After Biles performed the vault at the 2021 US Classic, USA Gymnastics high-performance coordinator Tom Forster said (via NBC Sports), “It’s undervalued at a 6.6.”
Biles also felt that the vault deserved a higher difficulty score.
“Timing is everything on the table,” Biles explained. “It’s a little bit risky to try to replicate that block [for the triple twist] every single time. So the double pike just seems a little bit more manageable for myself.”
The Olympic icon first performed the Biles II vault in competition on May 22, 2021, at the U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, USA. She scored 16.100 points, becoming the first woman to perform this vault in competition. Biles performed this difficult move at the highest level, but copying her achievement is a different challenge.
This isn’t the first time a male gymnast has joined a fun challenge to copy Biles’ skills. In fact, American gymnast Fred Richard shared an Instagram video of himself and Biles trying each other’s moves after the World Championships in Antwerp. The gymnast had just become the youngest American to win bronze in the men’s individual all-around event.
Yet even he struggled to perform her skills. Not just that, he even said her Japanese handstand was almost better than his own. The Biles II is only one part of her legacy. Gymnastics has officially named five skills after her across vault, floor exercise, and balance beam.
Her original floor skill, called the Biles, combines a double layout with a half twist. On the balance beam, another skill named after her involves a double-twisting double backflip dismount.
Her original vault skill begins with a half-turn onto the vault table. She then performs a forward flip with two twists. The Biles II vault is different because it features the Yurchenko double pike.
These skills require much more than strength. Gymnasts need the right technique, body control, awareness of their position in the air, and accurate landings.
The number of skills named after Biles shows how often she has pushed gymnastics to new levels of difficulty.
Simone Biles’ achievements show why she is a gymnastics legend
Simone Biles has achieved almost everything a gymnast can dream of. She has won 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold medals. She won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and three more at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In Paris, she won gold in the team event, individual all-around, and vault. She also won silver in floor exercise.
Her success at the World Championships is just as impressive. Biles has won 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold medals. She has won world titles in team events, individual all-around, vault, floor exercise, and balance beam. These achievements have made her the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history.
However, Biles’ greatness is not just about her medals. She has also performed skills so difficult that the sport has named them after her. This makes the attempts to copy her skills at the World Championships in Rotterdam interesting.
When trained male gymnasts struggle to perform moves linked to Biles, it shows how much power, control, and practice these skills require. Their attempts also remind fans that a move that looks easy on television can be very difficult to perform.
Biles may not be competing in Rotterdam, but her influence remains clear. Her medals have made history, and her signature skills continue to challenge other gymnasts.