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Simone Biles truly is the GOAT — and she knows it.
The US gymnastics superstar Simone Biles returned to competition with a bang on the weekend, completing a historic vault to launch her final run to the Tokyo Olympics.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist, who hadn't competed since winning fivegolds, including a fifth all-around title, at the 2019 World Championships, delivered on the vault she's been preparing — a Yurchenko double pike — at the US Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The vault, featuring a round-off onto the springboard and back handspring into a piked double backflip, had never before been done in women's competition — until now. Biles sailed through it with so much power that she over-rotated slightly and stepped back on the landing.
Biles is the undisputed gymnastics queen of the world and she has no trouble embracing that tag. Eagle-eyed viewers on social media noticed the head of a goat on the back of the 24-year-old's leotard — symbolising that she is the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).
Unfortunately for Biles, the judges weren't as enamoured with her vault as everyone else, as they gave it a provisional scoring value of just 6.6. There have been suggestions the low score was delivered because the International Gymnastics Federation wants to protect athletes' safety by discouraging them from attempting a move as difficult as what Biles pulled off.
Then there's the train of thought if Biles is the only person on the planet capable of pulling off such extreme vaults, she will simply be impossible to beat if the judges deem them worthy of more points.
"I feel like now we just have to get what we get because there's no point in putting up a fight because they're not going to reward it," Biles said.
"They're too low and they even know it. But they don't want the field to be too far apart. And that's just something that's on them. That's not on me.
"They had an open-ended code of points and now they're mad that people are too far ahead and excelling."
Simone Biles truly is the GOAT. Photo / Getty
Posts of Biles completing her incredible vault in practice had set social media sites buzzing. NBA superstar LeBron James had retweeted a video of Biles landing it.
"It's nice to see all the support," Biles said, adding that she was "feeling confident" heading into the US championships in early June.
They'll be followed by the US Olympic Trials from June 24-27, where the top two finishers will book Tokyo berths, along with two other gymnasts named by USA Gymnastics selectors.
Biles wasn't perfect on the weekend. In addition to her step back on the vault landing she had a bobble on her floor routine and on the asymmetrical bars.
But she won the all-around competition with a score of 58.400, with Jordan Chiles second on 57.100 points and Kayla DiCello third on 56.100.
"I'm just happy to be back out here on the competition floor in an arena with all of the girls, especially after the long year and time off we've had," Biles said.
