July 23 (UPI) — Team USA gymnast Simone Biles gave fans a glimpse of what to expect at the 2020 Summer Games, performing her historic Yurchenko double pike multi-flip Thursday at podium training in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old gymnast made history as the first woman to land the move in competition in May at the U.S. Classic in Indianapolis. She continued to tease fans about her potential to perform the move again in the lead-up to the postponed Summer Games.
On Thursday, Biles sprinted down the mat and used her hands to perform a round-off onto the spring board and a back handspring onto the vault.
She then launched herself higher and did two backflips while bent at the waist and holding her legs straight. Biles landed with two feet even, but then stepped back with her left foot and did a few small bounces.
Former Soviet world champion gymnast Natalia Yurchenko made the Yurchenko move famous in the 1980s. Biles’ version with a double pike — two flips with her knees straight and waist bent — has never been attempted by a woman at the Summer Games.
Biles, 24, made history with an American record four gold medals at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. She is a heavy favorite to earn another collection of medals in Tokyo.
Women’s artistic gymnastics qualifications start at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday and run through Sunday morning at Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo.
The women’s team final is at 6:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The women’s all-around final is at 6:50 a.m. EDT July 29. The women’s vault final is at 4:55 a.m. EDT Aug. 1. The women’s floor final is at 5 a.m. EDT Aug. 2.
Biles could get her last chance for gold in Tokyo at the women’s balance beam final, which starts at 4:50 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
The Olympics air on NBC, USA, CNBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, Golf Channel, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app through Aug. 8.
Click here for NBC’s full broadcast schedule in Eastern time. Tokyo time is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.
