Olympics-Gymnastics-Biles submits new uneven bars element for Paris Games

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By Rory Carroll

PARIS (Reuters) – Simone Biles has submitted an original skill on uneven bars ahead of the Paris Olympics that will be the American’s sixth move named after her and first on bars if she can successfully complete it.

The new skill is a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns to handstand, a variation of an element named for Canadian Wilhelm Weiler, which Biles has performed for much of her career, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said.

FIG’s technical committee awarded it a difficulty value of E on a scale from A to J, meaning it is worth 0.5 in difficulty.

The four-time Olympic champion already has five elements named after her including two vaults, two tumbling skills on floor exercise and a dismount on balance beam.

Only Nellie Kim, the retired Soviet and Belarusian five-time Olympic gold medallist, has more skills named after her, with seven.

Biles is the fourth woman aiming to have a new element named after her at the Games, which for the women begin on Sunday with qualifications.

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil will be attempting to perform a risky new vault in a bid to defend her gold medal from the Tokyo Games.

Both Naomi Visser and Lieke Wevers of the Netherlands have submitted a triple-turn on floor exercise with the leg in the horizontal position to hopefully be completed in Paris.

(Additional reporting by Karen Braun in Paris; Editing by Christian Radnedge)