The vault Simone Biles attempted before she withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics was not the new one that she was set to debut in Tokyo.
Biles attempted one vault at the start of the team competition but did not complete it. Minutes later, it was announced Biles was withdrawing.
The vault she was scheduled to attempt was an “Amanar” vault that requires a roundoff back handspring onto the table followed by 2 1/2 twists. Biles instead did just 1 1/2 twists with a big leap forward after landing. She sat down and talked to U.S. team doctor Marcia Faustin, then headed to the back while the rest of the Americans moved on to uneven bars without her.
When Biles returned several minutes later, she hugged her teammates and took off her bar grips. And just like that, her night was over.
The new vault that everyone has been anticipating since Biles started teasing it on social media last year is the Yurchenko Double Pike. It is a roundoff onto the springboard, a back handspring onto the vault and ends with a piked double backflip to the landing.
Biles completed the vault at the U.S. Classic in May and again last week during podium training. She did not do it in Sunday’s qualification round.
As of Tuesday night, Biles was still scheduled to compete in the individual all-around on Thursday and the vault final on Sunday. If she completes the Yurchenko Double Pike in either of those, the move will be named after her. It would be the fifth gymnastics move named for Biles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.