Simone Biles keeps pushing gymnastics forward with Secret Classic title
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — In gymnastics, there is always someone pushing the sport forward. Someone has to try new, more difficult routines to challenge the rest of the field. Right now, it’s two-time world champion Simone Biles.
At the Secret Classic in suburban Chicago on Saturday, Biles won the all-around competition with an overall score of 62.400. She also took gold medals in the vault, floor and beam.
Her neck was covered in medals by the end of the meet not only because she innovates, but also because her routines are flawless. Innovating is not just about medals, though. It’s part of what drew her to the sport in the first place.
"It is such a unique sport, and everything is different. Nobody has the same vault, bars or style. Everything you do appears to be unique and different, and that’s what I love about it," Biles said.
Biles performed a new balance beam routine, and scored a 15.250 despite an uncharacteristic wobble on a front flip.
Debuting new music on her floor routine, Biles scored a 16.050, the highest score of the night. In today’s gymnastics scoring system, any score above 15 is considered big, but Biles is able earn high scores because her tumbling passes are packed with so many envelope-pushing skills.
She followed it with another 16 on a high-flying vault. On the uneven bars, her weakest event, she still scored a 15.100 with two release moves and a stuck landing.
Biles brings showmanship to her routines, often incorporating nods and winks to the crowd. The fans at the Sears Center clapped along during her floor routine and erupted when she landed her vault. Putting on a show for the fans is part of her fun.
"That’s what they paid for!" Biles said. "That’s what they came to see. If you can incorporate it, why not?"
Biles was competing with three members of the gold-medal winning 2012 Olympic team. Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas were competing for the first time on American soil since before the London Olympics. Douglas, the defending Olympic all-around champion, took second in the all-around, scoring a total of 60.500.
Douglas likes having someone as talented as Biles as her competition.
"I love Simone, and I love how she’s a great competitor. If there were gymnasts out here doing just round-off back handspring layout, or something, the competition wouldn’t be as fun," Douglas said. "I will continue to do big gymnastics. That’s what makes it fun — the competition."
Raisman took fifth after she fell on a tumbling pass on the floor. She has added difficulty since she last competed and now has to focus on perfecting the new skills.
"It’s one of those passes that is so new that I need more repetitions," Raisman said. "I need to work on my endurance."
Kyla Ross only competed on two events, and struggled on bars before taking fourth on the beam.
Now the gymnasts will turn their focus to the P&G Championships in Indianapolis in mid-August before the team for the world championships is chosen in early October. The United States won gold at worlds last year and will be a heavy favorite to win in Glasgow in October.
Follow Maggie Hendricks on Twitter @maggiehendricks.