Simone Biles Just Did a Triple Backflip, and I’m Rubbing My Eyes in Disbelief

Saturday, Sept. 19, was National Gymnastics Day, and the GOAT of GOATs herself, Simone Biles, shared something she’s been cooking up at practice: a triple backflip. That’s three flips in the air without stopping, and Biles even did it in a piked position as opposed to with her knees bent (that would be a triple tuck instead of a triple pike).

For those of you wondering, yes, that’s an incredible feat for a gymnast. In fact, a triple backflip does not currently exist in the Code of Points for women’s gymnastics. It does, however, exist in the men’s Code of Points — it’s called the “Liukin,” named after Olympian Nastia Liukin‘s father and coach, who was the first athlete to perform it correctly at a major competition.

Biles did this awe-inspiring flip into a foam pit, but she has enough height here to keep working up to the floor. She may be a ways away from adding it into her floor routine, but if anyone can do it, she can (after all, we’re taking about the most decorated gymnast in world championship history who has four skills named after her).

Biles has been using the extra time before the postponed Olympic Games next summer to play around with more difficult skills. There’s her triple-double dismount off beam, which is an upgrade from her name-bearing double-twisting double dismount in that event, and high-flying tumbling passes like this new one she shared and others. Because, so far, only she can outdo herself — and we love to watch her try!