Simone Biles has reached heights previously considered impossible
August 2, 2024 12:05 PM Subscribe
"Biles’s aerial somersaults reach an incredible height. In Tuesday’s floor routine, seven feet of air separated her four-foot-eight frame from the ground beneath her. Through the power of arithmetic, we can confidently say that means her head was eleven feet and eight inches above the ground. If that feels abstract, allow us to provide some concrete examples for you." A Partial Inventory of Items Simone Biles Could Jump Over in Her Floor Routine, from Dan Solomon at the always fabulous Texas Monthly.
I've reached my free story limit (0 of 0).
posted by biffa at 12:16 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
posted by biffa at 12:16 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
Gosh, I'm sorry, biffa - I didn't see a paywall. Here's an ungated link.
posted by kristi at 12:29 PM on August 2 [4 favorites]
posted by kristi at 12:29 PM on August 2 [4 favorites]
Tim Duncan
A 2025 Ford F-150
Some Real Big Animals
Nearly 20,000 One-Dollar Bills
Beto O’Rourke With a Hedgehog on his Shoulders
America: Literally anything but the metric system.
posted by The Bellman at 12:30 PM on August 2 [57 favorites]
A 2025 Ford F-150
Some Real Big Animals
Nearly 20,000 One-Dollar Bills
Beto O’Rourke With a Hedgehog on his Shoulders
America: Literally anything but the metric system.
posted by The Bellman at 12:30 PM on August 2 [57 favorites]
Beto O’Rourke With a Hedgehog on his Shoulders
Wouldn't this be as tall as Beto O'Rourke, like, normally? Hedgehogs aren't that big, shouldn't it be "on his head?" Am I overthinking this? Why do I suddenly crave a plate of beans?
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:39 PM on August 2 [18 favorites]
Wouldn't this be as tall as Beto O'Rourke, like, normally? Hedgehogs aren't that big, shouldn't it be "on his head?" Am I overthinking this? Why do I suddenly crave a plate of beans?
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:39 PM on August 2 [18 favorites]
Nearly 20,000 One-Dollar Bills
Wouldn't it be more exciting to jump over nearly 20,000 $100 bills?
posted by aubilenon at 12:42 PM on August 2 [6 favorites]
Wouldn't it be more exciting to jump over nearly 20,000 $100 bills?
posted by aubilenon at 12:42 PM on August 2 [6 favorites]
In my mind she could never jump over Beto O'Rourke because his natural position is standing on a table.
posted by graymouser at 12:43 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
posted by graymouser at 12:43 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
How high is that in bananas?
posted by Ickster at 12:53 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
posted by Ickster at 12:53 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
This is fantastic. Although yeah, the hedgehog on his shoulders thing is weird. It does reference Sonic, maybe it's a really big hedgehog standing on two feet?!
posted by eternalhedgehog at 1:09 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
posted by eternalhedgehog at 1:09 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
I follow gymnast Ian Gunther on Instagram and last month after the trials when Biles got 12' of air and all the inevitable crappy comments came out, he posted a video about the actual springiness of the floor (vs, say, a trampoline).
I made a comment, which I rarely do on Instagram, and said something like "Okay but if you explain the physics, where am I supposed to put all my misogyny 😢"
That comment is STILL getting comment replies on it a month later. A lot are just, like, 3 cry laugh emojis in a row, but wow there are also a few that are SUPER special.
Anyway, gymnasts rule and Simone is so cool.
posted by phunniemee at 1:09 PM on August 2 [33 favorites]
I made a comment, which I rarely do on Instagram, and said something like "Okay but if you explain the physics, where am I supposed to put all my misogyny 😢"
That comment is STILL getting comment replies on it a month later. A lot are just, like, 3 cry laugh emojis in a row, but wow there are also a few that are SUPER special.
Anyway, gymnasts rule and Simone is so cool.
posted by phunniemee at 1:09 PM on August 2 [33 favorites]
I get chills watching Biles. A woman at the top of her game having an absolutely fabulous time. Her black job indeed.
posted by bluesky43 at 1:22 PM on August 2 [17 favorites]
posted by bluesky43 at 1:22 PM on August 2 [17 favorites]
It may just be part of her game face, but seeing the big grin break out when she nails a move is infectious.
So much fun to watch her enjoying her own skills & strength -- same with Suni Lee.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:28 PM on August 2 [20 favorites]
So much fun to watch her enjoying her own skills & strength -- same with Suni Lee.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:28 PM on August 2 [20 favorites]
I follow gymnast Ian Gunther on Instagram and last month after the trials when Biles got 12' of air and all the inevitable crappy comments came out, he posted a video about the actual springiness of the floor (vs, say, a trampoline).
The gym floor is pretty springy, so it's like a trampoline, but it really helps on landing, since that's what actually hurts when you jump from differential heights vs your own height. And if she can do all those side aerials and wild stuff, I think she could do it while holding a basketball as a like a stunt.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:43 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
The gym floor is pretty springy, so it's like a trampoline, but it really helps on landing, since that's what actually hurts when you jump from differential heights vs your own height. And if she can do all those side aerials and wild stuff, I think she could do it while holding a basketball as a like a stunt.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:43 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
And if she can do all those side aerials and wild stuff, I think she could do it while holding a basketball as a like a stunt.
Which is what rhythmic gymnastics is. I don't know why people don't like it more, I always look forward to it (always tacked on at the very end).
posted by Melismata at 1:45 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
Which is what rhythmic gymnastics is. I don't know why people don't like it more, I always look forward to it (always tacked on at the very end).
posted by Melismata at 1:45 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
Watching is beautifully eerie, it’s like she defies gravity for a split second or two. People shouldn’t be able to move like that, yet she does, over and over.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:46 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:46 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
So much fun to watch her enjoying her own skills & strength -- same with Suni Lee.
My Roman Empire (are we still doing this meme) this Olympics has been watching Jordan Chiles be an incredible teammate. I'm like, genuinely inspired by it?? And I'm a deeply jaded person. She knows when to be a hype man, when to give space, when to shine light on other's success and struggle, and when to cut things up to keep people laughing. Every single person on her team looks happier standing by her. And! Through all of it she never dulls her own shine. They can all be excellent, there is room for everyone to be their best when you're Jordan Chiles.
I was heartbroken for her that she got shut out of AA by the 2 per country rule, but you'd never know it to look at her, seeing how supportive she is of Suni and Simone. I adore her. (And her nails. And her floor routine. And her Beyonce leos.) I aspire to cultivate even half of the girl's girl energy Jordan Chiles has.
posted by phunniemee at 1:49 PM on August 2 [24 favorites]
My Roman Empire (are we still doing this meme) this Olympics has been watching Jordan Chiles be an incredible teammate. I'm like, genuinely inspired by it?? And I'm a deeply jaded person. She knows when to be a hype man, when to give space, when to shine light on other's success and struggle, and when to cut things up to keep people laughing. Every single person on her team looks happier standing by her. And! Through all of it she never dulls her own shine. They can all be excellent, there is room for everyone to be their best when you're Jordan Chiles.
I was heartbroken for her that she got shut out of AA by the 2 per country rule, but you'd never know it to look at her, seeing how supportive she is of Suni and Simone. I adore her. (And her nails. And her floor routine. And her Beyonce leos.) I aspire to cultivate even half of the girl's girl energy Jordan Chiles has.
posted by phunniemee at 1:49 PM on August 2 [24 favorites]
The high jump bar set to World Record height at least until 1956.
posted by jamjam at 2:45 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
posted by jamjam at 2:45 PM on August 2 [2 favorites]
I would pay a lot of money to watch her absolutely humiliate frat guys on leg day.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:06 PM on August 2 [8 favorites]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:06 PM on August 2 [8 favorites]
America: Literally anything but the metric system.
Does anybody know how much one Betohedge is in rods to the hogshead?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:08 PM on August 2 [5 favorites]
Does anybody know how much one Betohedge is in rods to the hogshead?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:08 PM on August 2 [5 favorites]
I love Simone Biles, for everything.
posted by chavenet at 3:14 PM on August 2 [7 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 3:14 PM on August 2 [7 favorites]
Cute pic from 2017 of Biles hanging out with Shaq.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 3:21 PM on August 2 [3 favorites]
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 3:21 PM on August 2 [3 favorites]
I would pay a lot of money to watch her absolutely humiliate frat guys on leg day.
Two bodybuilders tried to do some of Biles' workout routine, and got...very tired.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:54 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
Two bodybuilders tried to do some of Biles' workout routine, and got...very tired.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:54 PM on August 2 [10 favorites]
The article posits the question "How does she reach these heights?" and then posts a video of her in which you can see her action-figure shaped legs. I feel like if your muscles can visibly flex from a hundred feet away, then I do not have any business being surprised by how much force you can exert with them properly applied.
posted by Scattercat at 4:02 PM on August 2 [6 favorites]
posted by Scattercat at 4:02 PM on August 2 [6 favorites]
It does reference Sonic, maybe it's a really big hedgehog standing on two feet?!
I wonder what it might say about the author if they just assume people know Sonic the Hedgehog's... proportions.
posted by Riki tiki at 4:04 PM on August 2
I wonder what it might say about the author if they just assume people know Sonic the Hedgehog's... proportions.
posted by Riki tiki at 4:04 PM on August 2
They will see her waving from such great heights
Come down now, they'll say
posted by knile at 7:10 PM on August 2 [3 favorites]
Come down now, they'll say
posted by knile at 7:10 PM on August 2 [3 favorites]
thomas j wise Two bodybuilders tried to do some of Biles' workout routine, and got...very tired.
The Buff Dudes are always game to try things and they always give great respect for the absolutely insane workouts performed.
As for Simone, she's the absolute champ and amazing. So much skill, so much power, so much practice to get her results. (and yes, she has a great set of teammates to be and to bolster each oter)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:27 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
The Buff Dudes are always game to try things and they always give great respect for the absolutely insane workouts performed.
As for Simone, she's the absolute champ and amazing. So much skill, so much power, so much practice to get her results. (and yes, she has a great set of teammates to be and to bolster each oter)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:27 PM on August 2 [1 favorite]
she could happily run over to it, take a leap, and pat it on the head while staring deeply into its eyes, getting a glimpse of its wise soul. Perhaps the elephant would learn something too.
Listen, really listen to what Simone Biles says, her published comments, and yes, I think this might be true.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:51 AM on August 3 [2 favorites]
Listen, really listen to what Simone Biles says, her published comments, and yes, I think this might be true.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:51 AM on August 3 [2 favorites]
Simone needs to strap a GoPro to her forehead and give the world a peek at what she sees during those flips.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:04 AM on August 3
posted by Thorzdad at 2:04 AM on August 3
give the world a peek at what she sees during those flips
alexa order more dramamine
posted by phunniemee at 4:23 AM on August 3 [5 favorites]
alexa order more dramamine
posted by phunniemee at 4:23 AM on August 3 [5 favorites]
...watching Jordan Chiles be an incredible teammate...
Absolutely, she's an amazing teammate! My wife and I splurged on tickets for day 1 of the trials and was so happy to see her do well and she brought the best vibes to the whole thing. The way they had things setup was with the equipment pushed out to the sides with couches in the middle so everyone could see the athletes hanging out. Chiles was a blast to watch. I really wanted her on the team because I think that she makes everyone else better.
I also think that it's a side effect of the changes at USA gymnastics. The Karolyi were locked into this idea that gymnasts must be young, light, and lithe. So quite apart from the abusive training practices their athlete's nutrition was crap and they need fuel to recover and adapt to the stresses of training. Which meant injuries were way more common than they needed to be reinforcing the idea that it's a young woman's sport.
Now it's a lot more performance based and they manage their nutrition like other athletes (IE: They eat a lot and are smart about what). So their bodies are a lot more robust, they don't stack up fatigue nearly as fast so now you have a 27 year old Biles still at the top of her game pushing boundaries.
This has also meant that it's somewhat common for elite gymnasts to go to college on scholarships to compete in NCAA Gymnastics and still return to elite gymnastics after that. Jordan, Suni, and Jade all took that path. The benefits from that are:
1. HEAVILY team environment. It's a team sport and everyone on the team is incredibly supportive of everyone else. By mid-season, everyone knows everyone else's floor choreography and you'll see the whole team on the side doing it right along with whoever is competing (and is one of my favorite things about NCAA). At least when they're not screaming in support of teammate through a tumbling run.
2. They compete with joy. When they nail a landing (particularly on vault), after they salute the judges, you'll see them scream and shake their fists or leap into the air or whatever other involuntary physical expression of joyous aggression erupts forth from deep in their soul just like a powerlifter after putting down a big lift or an NFL player scoring a touchdown. That energy comes through in their performances and it's fun to watch.
3. 10.0 scoring. You can only add so much difficulty and the best teams will consistently score in the 9.5+ range. So there is a lot of focus on execution. I see it most on bars where all of the former NCAA gymnasts keeps their toes pointed, feet together, straighter legs, and much more vertical and precise handstands.
All that NCAA experience has helped the whole team both on and off the equipment and Jordan Chiles is the prime example. It's made everything about her that's great even better.
posted by VTX at 9:35 AM on August 3 [26 favorites]
Absolutely, she's an amazing teammate! My wife and I splurged on tickets for day 1 of the trials and was so happy to see her do well and she brought the best vibes to the whole thing. The way they had things setup was with the equipment pushed out to the sides with couches in the middle so everyone could see the athletes hanging out. Chiles was a blast to watch. I really wanted her on the team because I think that she makes everyone else better.
I also think that it's a side effect of the changes at USA gymnastics. The Karolyi were locked into this idea that gymnasts must be young, light, and lithe. So quite apart from the abusive training practices their athlete's nutrition was crap and they need fuel to recover and adapt to the stresses of training. Which meant injuries were way more common than they needed to be reinforcing the idea that it's a young woman's sport.
Now it's a lot more performance based and they manage their nutrition like other athletes (IE: They eat a lot and are smart about what). So their bodies are a lot more robust, they don't stack up fatigue nearly as fast so now you have a 27 year old Biles still at the top of her game pushing boundaries.
This has also meant that it's somewhat common for elite gymnasts to go to college on scholarships to compete in NCAA Gymnastics and still return to elite gymnastics after that. Jordan, Suni, and Jade all took that path. The benefits from that are:
1. HEAVILY team environment. It's a team sport and everyone on the team is incredibly supportive of everyone else. By mid-season, everyone knows everyone else's floor choreography and you'll see the whole team on the side doing it right along with whoever is competing (and is one of my favorite things about NCAA). At least when they're not screaming in support of teammate through a tumbling run.
2. They compete with joy. When they nail a landing (particularly on vault), after they salute the judges, you'll see them scream and shake their fists or leap into the air or whatever other involuntary physical expression of joyous aggression erupts forth from deep in their soul just like a powerlifter after putting down a big lift or an NFL player scoring a touchdown. That energy comes through in their performances and it's fun to watch.
3. 10.0 scoring. You can only add so much difficulty and the best teams will consistently score in the 9.5+ range. So there is a lot of focus on execution. I see it most on bars where all of the former NCAA gymnasts keeps their toes pointed, feet together, straighter legs, and much more vertical and precise handstands.
All that NCAA experience has helped the whole team both on and off the equipment and Jordan Chiles is the prime example. It's made everything about her that's great even better.
posted by VTX at 9:35 AM on August 3 [26 favorites]
That's a fantastic comment, VTX (and flagged as fantastic!) - thank you!
posted by kristi at 12:48 PM on August 3 [3 favorites]
posted by kristi at 12:48 PM on August 3 [3 favorites]
Horace Rumpole: America: Literally anything but the metric system.
I wonder why, if the non-metric system is so intuitive, they always end up measuring things in hedgehogs and aircraft carriers. 🤔
posted by signal at 8:35 PM on August 3 [1 favorite]
I wonder why, if the non-metric system is so intuitive, they always end up measuring things in hedgehogs and aircraft carriers. 🤔
posted by signal at 8:35 PM on August 3 [1 favorite]
After reading this article, I don't think Suni benefited much from her NCAA experience:
Lee felt that she couldn’t even confide in her teammates. “A lot of the girls weren’t the nicest to me,” she says. “I just really felt like an outcast, almost. They didn’t treat me that well. I just knew that I couldn’t trust them.” (She adds, “I have a couple of good, really genuine friends there,” but they are athletes in other sports.)
and
Lee felt that everyone expected her to produce a perfect 10 in every college event. When she did, she had simply done what she was supposed to do. When she didn’t, she had failed. “Everybody just thinks since you’re the gold medalist, you never make mistakes,” says Jess Graba.
It's possible she might have had a less-terrible NCAA experience at another university, but toxicity also exists in NCAA, even in highly successful and lauded programs. UCLA had a coach resign after a racism scandal a few years ago. This year, a University of Utah athlete went public about abusive behavior from the head coach that forced her to drop out of the sport and out of the school. The way NCAA gets held up as inherently healthier feeds this problem. The U of Utah athlete was recruited with promises of sisterhood and a family atmosphere, and was left traumatized by the abuse and bullying instead.
I'm happy Jordan and Jade have had positive experiences with NCAA. But it looks to me like Suni is better suited to an open-ended scoring structure where her difficulty is rewarded, and little mistakes are less important than in a 10.0 system. Also Simone, Jordan and Shilese Jones have seemed more genuinely supportive of Suni than her Auburn teammates apparently were.
posted by creepygirl at 12:05 AM on August 4 [4 favorites]
Lee felt that she couldn’t even confide in her teammates. “A lot of the girls weren’t the nicest to me,” she says. “I just really felt like an outcast, almost. They didn’t treat me that well. I just knew that I couldn’t trust them.” (She adds, “I have a couple of good, really genuine friends there,” but they are athletes in other sports.)
and
Lee felt that everyone expected her to produce a perfect 10 in every college event. When she did, she had simply done what she was supposed to do. When she didn’t, she had failed. “Everybody just thinks since you’re the gold medalist, you never make mistakes,” says Jess Graba.
It's possible she might have had a less-terrible NCAA experience at another university, but toxicity also exists in NCAA, even in highly successful and lauded programs. UCLA had a coach resign after a racism scandal a few years ago. This year, a University of Utah athlete went public about abusive behavior from the head coach that forced her to drop out of the sport and out of the school. The way NCAA gets held up as inherently healthier feeds this problem. The U of Utah athlete was recruited with promises of sisterhood and a family atmosphere, and was left traumatized by the abuse and bullying instead.
I'm happy Jordan and Jade have had positive experiences with NCAA. But it looks to me like Suni is better suited to an open-ended scoring structure where her difficulty is rewarded, and little mistakes are less important than in a 10.0 system. Also Simone, Jordan and Shilese Jones have seemed more genuinely supportive of Suni than her Auburn teammates apparently were.
posted by creepygirl at 12:05 AM on August 4 [4 favorites]
Tim Duncan
A 2025 Ford F-150
Some Real Big Animals
Nearly 20,000 One-Dollar Bills
Beto O’Rourke With a Hedgehog on his Shoulders
What is this in footnote terms?
posted by hal_cy_on at 2:37 AM on August 4
A 2025 Ford F-150
Some Real Big Animals
Nearly 20,000 One-Dollar Bills
Beto O’Rourke With a Hedgehog on his Shoulders
What is this in footnote terms?
posted by hal_cy_on at 2:37 AM on August 4
You go Simone! Her poise is incredible. A phenomenal athlete.
posted by DJZouke at 5:14 AM on August 4
posted by DJZouke at 5:14 AM on August 4
I wonder why, if the non-metric system is so intuitive, they always end up measuring things in hedgehogs and aircraft carriers. 🤔
Because stacking things up is fun, Yertle the turtle style.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:01 PM on August 4
Because stacking things up is fun, Yertle the turtle style.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:01 PM on August 4
The gym floor is pretty springy, so it's like a trampoline
No, it's not.
posted by cooker girl at 6:38 PM on August 4 [1 favorite]
No, it's not.
posted by cooker girl at 6:38 PM on August 4 [1 favorite]
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