Yurchenko Double Pike: Simone Biles’ Record-Breaking Vault and Why It’s So Hard
Simone Biles’ Yurchenko double pike, officially the Biles II, has the highest value of any women’s vault in the FIG Code of Points. It combines a fast run, a Yurchenko entry and two backflips in the pike position before a blind landing.
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FIG valued it at 6.4 in September 2023 and named it after Biles when she landed it at the World Championships in Antwerp that October. The 2025–2028 Code keeps it at 6.4, the highest of any women’s vault. No other woman has competed it.
What Is the Yurchenko Double Pike Vault?
A Yurchenko vault starts with a run, a hurdle and a round-off onto the springboard, which turns the gymnast to face backward. She then back handsprings onto the table and pushes off it explosively, a move called the block. The entry is named after Soviet gymnast Natalia Yurchenko, who introduced it in the 1980s; it is one of the five vault families FIG recognizes.
From that block, Biles performs two full backflips in a pike position (hips folded, legs straight) before opening to land. There are no twists. Most Yurchenko vaults add twists to a single flip, so a second flip in a pike is a different kind of difficulty.
Why it’s named for Biles
FIG names a new element after the first gymnast to perform it successfully at the World Championships or the Olympic Games. Biles did that in Antwerp on October 1, 2023, and the vault became the Biles II.
Why This Vault Is Historic
Before Biles, no woman had landed a Yurchenko double pike in competition. She first showed it at the 2021 U.S. Classic, where it was given a provisional value of 6.6. FIG set the value at 6.4 in September 2023, shortly before the Antwerp Worlds, and the 2025–2028 Code keeps it there.
She went on to compete it at the 2023 World Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she won the vault title. Under older Codes the Produnova was valued even higher, at 7.0–7.1 from 2009 to 2016, but those values used a different scale.
Why the Yurchenko Double Pike Is So Hard
Each phase of the vault is demanding on its own. The double pike leaves almost no margin in any of them.
The entry has to be fast and precise
The round-off and back handspring have to arrive on the table with the hands and shoulders in line. Any misalignment changes the flight path before the flips begin, and the gymnast cannot correct it in the air. Even elite gymnasts spend years refining the Yurchenko entry.
The block has to create unusual height
Two flips need time, and time in the air comes from height. The gymnast has to turn her run speed into a fast, powerful push off the table. Without enough height she cannot finish the second flip before reaching the mat.
The pike slows the rotation
A tucked body is compact and spins quickly. In a pike the legs stay straight, so the body is longer and rotates more slowly. To finish two flips in that shape, the gymnast needs more height, a strong snap into the pike and core strength to hold it.
The landing is blind
During a backward double flip the gymnast cannot see the floor until the very end. She has to sense when to open, then spot the mat late and land with her legs together. Opening too early or too late leads to an under- or over-rotated landing, and steps, a deep landing or a fall all cost execution points.
The risk is high
An under-rotated double salto on vault can mean a hard landing on the knees, back or neck. That is why the vault is only attempted by gymnasts with years of experience on Yurchenko vaults, after long progressions with their coaches.
Why only Biles has competed it
The vault asks for exceptional power off the table, air awareness and consistency under pressure all at once. Biles combined those well enough to land it at a World Championships and an Olympic Games. As of October 2026, no other woman has competed it.
How It Compares to Other Ultra-Difficult Women’s Vaults
The values below come from the 2025–2028 women’s Code. For the full list, including men’s vaults, see the hardest vaults ever performed.
| Vault (women) | Entry | Saltos/Twists | Current D (2025–2028) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biles II – Yurchenko double pike | Round-off → BHS onto table | Double back, pike | 6.4 |
| Produnova – handspring double front tuck | Handspring | Double front, tuck | 6.0 |
| Biles – RO ½-on, front layout double twist | Yurchenko ½-on | Front layout 2/1 | 6.0 |
| Yeo – handspring, front layout double twist | Handspring | Front layout 2/1 | 5.8 |
| Cheng – RO ½-on, front layout 1½ twist | Yurchenko ½-on | Front layout 1½ | 5.6 |
| Tsukahara 2½ (layout) | Tsukahara | Back layout 2½ | 5.6 |
Step-by-Step: The Biles II Mechanics
- Approach & Hurdle: Long, aggressive run; round-off onto the springboard with shoulders stacked and core tight.
- Back Handspring Contact: Clean, fast hand placement with fully open shoulders; heels driving up to load the block.
- Block & Rise: Explosive shoulder extension creates vertical lift; hips snap into a tight pike.
- First Piked Salto: Core stays rigid, arms wrap to thighs, shape remains precise.
- Second Piked Salto: Maintain the pike; prepare to open at a consistent height.
- Open & Land: Chest up, arms tight, heels together—landings are blind, so timing is everything.
FAQ
Is anyone besides Biles competing it?
As of October 2026, no. The Biles II remains unique to her, officially named because she was the first to land it at a FIG event.
Does Biles still compete it?
No. After winning vault gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she said that was the last time she would perform it in competition.
Why not “just” do it in tuck?
A tuck rotates faster, but the element is specifically defined as a pike. The pike makes the vault harder and is what gives it its 6.4 value.
Didn’t it used to have a higher number?
Yes. When Biles first showed the vault in 2021, it carried a provisional value of 6.6. FIG set it at 6.4 in September 2023, and the 2025–2028 Code keeps that value.
Final Takeaway
The Yurchenko double pike is two piked backflips from a Yurchenko entry, and its 6.4 value is the highest in women’s vault. It is hard because every phase, from the block to the blind landing, has to be close to perfect.
Biles is the only woman to have competed it, and she retired it after Paris 2024. To learn how to tell vault entries apart, see Tsukahara vs. Yurchenko.
Sources: Gymnastics.sport, Wikipedia, NBC Sports, NBC Chicago