In women’s artistic gymnastics, the floor exercise, distinguished as the fourth event in the Olympic sequence, offers gymnasts a unique showcase. Within a 12-meter square, athletes have 90 seconds to perform a complex array of acrobatic maneuvers, dance elements, and choreography.
Unlike their male counterparts, female gymnasts perform to music, allowing them to infuse the routine with personal flair and musical interpretation.
Let’s look at the top five challenging and crowd-pleasing skills in women’s floor gymnastics.
| Skill Name | Difficulty Value | Element Type | Performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Silivas | H | Tumbling (Acrobatic) | Daniela Silivaș (ROM) |
| The Chusovitina | H | Tumbling (Acrobatic) | Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) |
| The Dos Santos II | H | Tumbling (Acrobatic) | Daiane dos Santos (BRA) |
| The Moors | I | Tumbling (Acrobatic) | Victoria Moors (CAN) |
| The Biles II | J | Tumbling (Acrobatic) | Simone Biles (USA) |
5. The Silivas
- Code of Points Value: H (2022–2024)
- Element Type: Tumbling (Acrobatic)
- Technical Description: Double salto backward in a tucked position with two full twists
- First Performed By: Daniela Silivaș (ROM), 1988 Seoul Olympics
The Silivas is one of the most iconic and widely used elite tumbling passes in women’s gymnastics. It consists of a double backflip in a tucked position with two full twists, typically performed as the opening pass due to its difficulty and visual impact.
Created by Romanian gymnastics legend Daniela Silivaș during the 1988 Olympics, this skill was a groundbreaking innovation in its day—and it remains a staple for powerful tumblers in the modern Code of Points.
Originally rated G, the Silivas was upgraded to an H in 2013, reflecting its continued technical and physical challenge as gymnastics standards have advanced.
4. The Chusovitina
- Code of Points Value: H (2022–2024)
- Element Type: Tumbling (Acrobatic)
- Technical Description: Double salto backward in layout with a full twist
- First Performed By: Oksana Chusovitina (UZB), 1990s
The Chusovitina is one of the most technically demanding and historically significant tumbling passes in women’s gymnastics. It involves a double backflip in layout position, with a full twist in the second salto. This element was introduced by Oksana Chusovitina in the 1990s and has since been named in her honor, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest gymnasts in history.
Initially, the Chusovitina was differentiated between a full-in (twist during the first salto) and full-out (twist during the second salto), but over time, the distinction was removed, and the skill has been classified under one name. This element was upgraded to H in 2013, reflecting its complexity and the degree of difficulty it brings to floor routines.
3. The Dos Santos II
- Code of Points Value: H (2022–2024)
- Element Type: Tumbling (Acrobatic)
- Technical Description: Arabian double salto in a stretched (layout) position
- First Performed By: Daiane dos Santos (BRA), 2008 World Championships
The Dos Santos II is one of the most difficult tumbling passes in women’s gymnastics and a signature move from Brazilian gymnast Daiane dos Santos. This pass consists of an Arabian double salto—a backward somersault with two flips—executed in a layout position. It entered the Code of Points in 2008, initially rated G before being upgraded to H due to its increasing complexity.
This move has become a symbol of Daiane dos Santos’ brilliance, and though she was the first to perform it in competition, it remains extremely rare due to its unique execution requirements.
2. The Moors
- Code of Points Value: I (2022–2024)
- Element Type: Tumbling (Acrobatic)
- Technical Description: Double back salto stretched (layout) with two full twists (Double Double Layout)
- First Performed By: Victoria Moors (CAN), 2013 World Championships
The Moors is one of the most difficult and impressive tumbling passes in women’s gymnastics. It involves a double backflip in a stretched (layout) position with two full twists—also known as a double double layout. This skill was introduced by Victoria Moors at the 2013 World Championships and has since been recognized as one of the most demanding elements on floor.
Initially, the Moors was rated H, but it was later upgraded to I in 2022—the highest rating for a tumbling pass performed by a woman in gymnastics. Only a handful of gymnasts have completed this skill in competition, further solidifying its status as one of the most elite elements in women’s gymnastics.
1. The Biles II
- Code of Points Value: J (2022–2024)
- Element Type: Tumbling (Acrobatic)
- Technical Description: Double salto backward tucked with three full twists (Triple twisting double tuck)
- First Performed By: Simone Biles (USA), 2019 U.S. Championships
The Biles II, commonly known as the Triple Double or the Triple Twisting Double Tuck, is one of the most difficult and innovative tumbling passes in women’s gymnastics. It consists of two backflips in a tucked position with three full twists performed in the air. Simone Biles, the American gymnastics icon, introduced this mind-blowing skill at the 2019 U.S. Championships—and with it, she pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in women’s gymnastics.
For the first time in history, a female gymnast completed three full twists during a tumbling pass, making it a J-ratedskill, the highest possible value in the Code of Points. This skill not only broke records but also fundamentally changed the way gymnasts approach difficulty in floor routines.
Why It’s So Difficult
The Biles II is a groundbreaking achievement in gymnastics for several key reasons:
- Three full twists: The triple twist alone would be a high-level skill for most gymnasts. Doing it while executing two backflips adds an entirely new layer of difficulty. This requires perfect coordination and control to ensure the body rotates in the correct direction and speed.
- Double back salto in a tucked position: Adding a double backflip to the skill makes it exponentially harder. The tucked position slows down rotation, and completing two flips while also twisting three times requires extreme power, core control, and body awareness.
- Height and air time: To complete the three twists and two flips, the gymnast must generate significant height to ensure there is enough air time to complete the rotations. This requires an explosive take-off and perfect body mechanics during the launch.
- Blind landing: Just like other high-difficulty tumbling passes, the gymnast cannot spot the floor until the very last moment, which makes the landing extremely challenging and adds risk to the execution of the skill.
This element alone is worth a full point in gymnastic scoring, highlighting its exceptional difficulty and the innovation Biles continues to bring to the sport.