Celebrating Simone Biles’ Best Moments Before Tokyo Olympics
Jamie Squire/Getty Images Reading Time: 4 minutes
Simone Biles is already killing the gymnastics game ahead of hitting the mat at the 2020 Summer Tokyo Olympics. She just became the first female gymnast to perform a double-flipping Yurchenko. She debuted the skill at the U.S. Classic that took place in May.
Simone Biles is Expected to Bring Home the Gold at the 2020 Summer Tokyo Olympics
The Yurchenko is a complicated skill that involves a round-off onto a springboard and a back handspring onto a vault. Biles decided to take it up a notch. She does two flips instead of one, solidifying her GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) status. On Thursday, Biles practiced the skill at the women’s podium training session. She nearly nailed a Yurchenko double pike leaving many excited to see if she will actually perform the skill in her routine.
Her coach Laurent Landi is hesitant to let her perform the “dangerous skill” when it comes time for her big performance. Should Biles land the Yurchenko double pike, the vault will be named after her and become her fifth skill. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is a favorite after dominating the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. She’s at the top of her game and expected to earn gold in almost every major category.
Simone Biles’ Best Moments from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and Beyond
Biles has become one of the greatest gymnasts ever to hit the Olympic mats. She became known as a force in 2013 when she made her senior international debut at the American Cup. Since then, she has become one of the most talked about and admired athletes in the entire world. Let’s take a look back at some of her best moments ahead of her second Olympic quest for gold.
1. Biles and the Final Five Meet Zac Efron
The Today Show surprised Biles and the rest of The Final Five in Rio with her celebrity crush. If you didn’t fall in love with Zac Efron while watching High School Musical, you’re lying. Efron kissed Biles on the cheek in a moment that she raved about on Twitter. The girls were so giddy and could not believe Efron came all the way to Rio to surprise them. The rest of us lived vicariously through them as we watched from home.
2. She Plays with Adorable Puppies While Answering Fan Questions
In a recent BuzzFeed video, Biles answers some of her fans questions while playing with the most adorable puppies ever. She giggles while revealing that her cheat meal outside of the gym is pizza. Her laugh and smile are contagious in this video. She is even a good sport when one of the puppies pees on her.
3. Biles Dominates ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Biles was an absolute force to be reckoned with when she competed on Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with Sasha Farber. He did a good job of making sure to incorporate just enough gymnastics elements into all of their routines. Biles’ elimination was a straight up robbery because many assumed she would win the entire competition. The couple got two perfect scores in the Semifinals for a dynamite Jive and a sultry Rumba.
4. Her Dance Partner Gives Her Quite the Scare on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’
In 2017, Biles joined Ellen DeGeneres for an interview on her show. She had just turned 20 and was considering moving out of her parents house. As she spoke to DeGeneres about being afraid of the dark and doing laundry, she got the shock of a lifetime. Farber is a huge prankster and jumped out of the box that DeGeneres always uses to scare guests. Biles let out a shriek and was totally frightened.
5. Biles Goes For Gold with Special GOAT Leotards
Being the GOAT means Biles had to add a little bit of extra bling to her leotards. She decided to pay tribute to her nickname and wear a rhinestoned goat on her outfits. She named the goat Goldie, and it serves as an emblem to “hit back at the haters.” Biles even got her own GOAT emoji. Any Twitter hashtags with her name will have a jumping cartoon goat emoji added to it. The goat emoji is wearing a gold medal around its neck, much like Biles will be when she competes at the Tokyo Olympics.
