Topline
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles chose not to perform the “Biles” move on the uneven bars on Thursday, though she still clinched her second gold medal in the individual all-around contest—passing up the opportunity to have a sixth move named after her and be the only active gymnast with a move named after her on each event.
Gold medalist Simone Biles of Team United States celebrates after competing in the Artistic … [+]
Key Facts
The original skill would have been a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns to handstand, which is a variation of the Weiler, a skill she has performed for much of her career, according to the International Gymnastics Federation.
Despite not performing the move, Biles won her second gold in the all-around contest with a score of 59.131—becoming the third woman to win two Olympic all-around titles and the first gymnast to win them eight years apart.
Biles submitted the move last Friday and USA Gymnastics teased it on social media the same day—though she did not perform it on Tuesday in the women’s team final.
For the move to officially be named after Biles, she would have to perform it without a major fault at some phase in the competition, according to the International Gymnastics Federation.
Though Biles did not debut the new move, she still has five skills named after her: Two skills on floor, two on vault and one on the beam.
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Big Number
4. That’s how many women, including Biles, submitted new skills to be named after them in the Paris Olympics. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade submitted a new vault skill, and Dutch gymnasts Naomi Visser and Lieke Wevers submitted a skill on the floor. If both Dutch gymnasts successfully complete the skill, it would have both of their names.
What To Watch For
If Biles qualifies for the uneven bars final, she will have another chance to debut the skill. She is not scheduled to compete as of Thursday, though—she is currently the first alternate after qualifying ninth.
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Biles made $7.1 million last year, meaning she tied for the 16th-highest paid female athlete. A vast majority of her earnings—$7 million—came from off-field pay, while we estimated she made about $100,000 in on-field earnings.
Key Background
Biles, 27, made her triumphant return to the Olympics in Paris this year after withdrawing from most of the competition at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo due to a mental block called the “ twisties.” Biles is widely considered the best gymnast in history and is at her third Olympics, a unique feat for an athlete competing in a sport in which people have historically aged out around 22. She won her first Olympic medals in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, won two more in 2021 despite her withdrawing, and she was the only gymnast that year who had returned to the Olympics after being sexually assaulted by former team doctor Larry Nassar, The New York Times reported.
Surprising Fact
Bars are technically Biles’ worst event: Just one of her world and Olympic championship medals was earned in bars.
Tangent
Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast earlier this week when Team USA won gold in the team final. That was her eighth Olympic medal, pushing her past gymnast Shannon Miller of the 1992 and 1996 teams, who was previously tied with Biles at seven medals. Biles helped lead the team to its medal—its first gold since 2016 and fourth gold in the event ever—competing in each event and performing her signature “Biles II” move on vault.
Further Reading
Israel and Hamas. Previously, she has covered a range of topics from Donald Trump’s legal battles to Taylor Swift’s path to becoming a billionaire. She joined Forbes in April 2022 and is based in Colorado. Prior to joining Forbes, Bohannon covered local news and spent time at the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Arizona Republic. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Creighton University and has an MA in investigative journalism from Arizona State. Follow Bohannon for continued coverage of pop culture, politics and updates on the war in Gaza.
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