Simone Biles Sets Record as First Woman to Successfully Complete Cheng Vault Variation
Simone Biles just did something no other woman has done before. On Thursday, Deadspin reported, the Olympic gymnast competed at the selection camp for the upcoming world championships, which will take place in Doha, Qatar. When it was her turn, Biles performed a vault that the site described as the Cheng vault (a “roundoff onto the board and half turn onto the table…with only one and a half twists off”) with an extra half twist. According to Deadspin, this variation on the Cheng vault has only ever been successfully performed in competition by male gymnasts, which means Biles just broke an incredible record.
Previously, Deadspin reported that the enhanced vault will be dubbed the “Biles” if she ends up performing it at the world championships. And it looks like she’ll be performing the move again later this month, because on Friday ESPN reported that the four-time gold medalist was announced to be headlining the team, which will be competing on behalf of Team USA in Doha.
According to ESPN, Biles’ teammates will include Morgan Hurd, Ragan Smith, Riley McCusker, Grace McCallum, and Kara Eaker. Hurd is a 2017 world all-around champion; Smith is a 2017 U.S. champion.
This is far from the first time Biles has made history. In August 2016, she became the first-ever female gymnast to lead Team USA in an Olympic closing ceremony, and only the second gymnast to ever have the honor (with the last having done so in 1936). Then, this past August she became the second woman ever to win five U.S. all-around titles, as well as the first one in 24 years to win gold in all four apparatus titles.