She tumbles gracefully onto the springboard, flings herself backward onto the vault table and pops off the surface. Another successful Yurchenko double pike. Of the five skills in the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) code of points named after Biles, her most recent vault — the Yurchenko double pike — has become the most iconic. In a sport that blends power and grace, Biles’ Yurchenko double pike is at the center of its own Venn diagram: athletic feat, scientific marvel and artistic genius all in six seconds. “I used to like, cry because I was so scared of it,” laughed Ross, who practiced Yurchenko double tucks into the foam pit alongside her longtime club teammate Maroney.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 24, 2024 18:00 UTC