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What is Yurchenko double pike? Simone Biles pulls off highly challenging vault to be named after her at Worlds

Simone Biles became the first woman to perform the challenging move at the World Gymnastics Championships on Sunday, October 1

ANTWERP, BELGIUM: The Yurchenko double pike is a challenging gymnastic maneuver that is regarded as one of the hardest jumps in the women's scoring code and has been named after the former Soviet artistic gymnast Natalia Yurchenko. 

Simone Biles became the first woman to pull off the challenging move at the World Gymnastics Championships on Sunday, October 1, which means the vault will be named after her as gymnastics moves are named after the first performer to execute them at a major event.

The 26-year-old athlete now has five skills named after her: one for the balance beam, two for floor exercise, and two for vault.

How hard is Yurchenko double pike?

Yurchenko double pike is regarded as one of the trickiest jumps in the women's scoring cod, with some calling it the most difficult. 

There is a major risk involved as if gymnasts don't finish the whole spin, they could land on their heads, according to ABC.

"It's great," said coach Laurent Landi, adding, "People I hope realize that's maybe one of the last times you're going to see a vault like that in your life from a woman gymnast. So I think it's time to appreciate it," as per USA Today.

Notably, Biles received a score of 15.266 points from the technical committee due to the move's intricacy. Right now, her all-around overall stands at 58.865 points for the World Championships. 

How is the Yurchenko double pike performed?

Yurchenko vaults are a type of vault in which the gymnast performs a round-off onto the springboard followed by a back handspring onto a horse or vaulting table. The gymnast next does a salto (gymnastics meaning somersault), which can range from a simple single tuck to a difficult triple twist layout.

A performer's score increases with the difficulty of the variant they choose, provided they are able to land upright.

What are the four Simone Biles moves?

The celebrated gymnast Simon Biles is known for four special moves that she uses in the floor, vault, and balance beam events.

Biles flips twice in the air in the floor exercise move and adds a half-twist before landing. To execute Biles II's skill, she flips backward twice in the air while twisting three times.

Her move on the balance beam involves double-twisting and double backflip dismount. And Vault Biles is Yurchenko half-on with two twists.

These feats highlight Biles' exceptional gymnastic skills and cemented her place in the annals of the sport.

What makes the Yurchenko double pike challenging?

A Yurchenko double pike is far more difficult than a Yurchenko pike, which only involves one flip. A gymnast jumps off the table with her hands during a double-flipping Yurchenko, giving the move the appearance of two and a half flips, as per the Washington Post.