ST. LOUIS – If gravity can’t hold Simone Biles, good luck to the International Gymnastics Federation.
Biles brought back his double spin and double somersault on beam for the first time in nearly two years at the Olympic trials on Friday night. It’s the skill so ridiculously difficult that no other woman even tries it. But the FIG, in its infinite wisdom, refuses to give it fair credit because it does not want to give ideas to other less gifted gymnasts.
“I can do it, and it’s still an upgrade and for sure,” Biles told USA TODAY Sports in April. “It doesn’t add too much starting value to my routine, but I’m able to do it. And I think people come to see these skills.
This is, among many other reasons, what the friends of the FIG did not understand. The average person may not know exactly what a double-double is. Or why not every gymnast is able to do one.
But they know Biles is doing something out of this world, and it’s pretty damn cool to see. If you are the leader of a sport, especially a sport that doesn’t have a regular place in the spotlight, why wouldn’t you want to encourage that?
For those unfamiliar with the backstory, every element of gymnastics has a numerical value. As skills increase in difficulty, their value should also increase. Based on previous progressions, Biles’ double-double should have been worth three extra tenths of a point.
Instead, the FIG Women’s Technical Committee said it was only worth a tenth more.
Their explanation? They wanted to save the other gymnasts from themselves.
“In assigning values to new items, the WTC takes into account many different aspects; the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline, ”he then declared. “There is an additional risk landing double somersaults for beam exits (with / without twists), including a potential neck landing.
“In strengthening, there are many examples… where decisions have been made to protect the gymnasts and preserve the direction of the discipline. “
Now, there are gymnasts that must absolutely be mastered. (Yes, a few of you jumpers, I’m looking directly at you.) But Biles isn’t one of them. She pushes the boundaries of sport, but not recklessly.
Biles’ score on the beam Friday night was 15.133, which included an 8.333 for execution. This matches the highest performance score of the night on the event, an indication that not only does she have the athletic ability to perform skills that other gymnasts can’t even comprehend, but she has trained them to the top. perfection.
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The open scoring system was created, in part, to encourage innovation, and that’s exactly what Biles does. The Biles exercise on the beam should not be confused with the Biles I exercise on the floor. Or the Biles II exercise on the ground. Or the Biles in the trunk. Or the future Biles II in the safe.
And now the FIG is losing its nerves.
By not giving enough credit for this descent on the beam, or the Yurchenko double pike jump she first did at the US Classic in May, the FIG is trying to discourage Biles from challenging both his own limits and those Sport.
But the FIG should really know better now.
Biles has once established herself as the sport’s greatest gymnast, a quadruple Olympic gold medalist who has more world championship medals than any other gymnast, male or female. While the motivation to collect more medals and titles may have been enough at one point in his career, it is not anymore.
“This time around I feel like it’s right for me, and I can go out there and test my limits,” she said. “I’ve kind of marked my status already, and whatever happens (in Tokyo) happens. But I’m going to push myself to see how far I can go in the sport.
The rest of the world recognizes how great a gift it is to witness this. Too bad the FIG cannot.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armor on Twitter @nrarmour.
