What Is Simone Biles’ Best Event in Gymnastics?

When asked “What is Simone Biles’ best event?”, the answer most experts and fans agree on is the floor exercise. Known for her extraordinary power, unmatched difficulty, and iconic signature skills, Biles dominates on floor unlike any other gymnast in history. However, her elite performances on vault and beam also demonstrate her versatility and all-around excellence. In this article, we explore Biles' top events—floor, vault, and beam—to reveal where she shines the most and why one stands above the rest.


Floor Exercise Mastery

Simone Biles’ dominance on the floor exercise is widely regarded as one of the most exceptional displays of athleticism in gymnastics history. Often referred to as her premier event, the floor routine showcases the full breadth of her power, precision, and artistry. Over the years, Biles has revolutionized what is possible in women’s floor gymnastics, setting new standards for difficulty and execution.

Recent Olympic Performance Details

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles won the gold medal in the floor exercise final, scoring an impressive 15.966. Her performance included a combination of explosive tumbling passes, intricate choreography, and powerful landings—elements that have become her trademark. Despite stepping back during parts of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to mental health concerns, Biles returned to competition and maintained her legacy on the floor. Even with limited participation, her routines remained among the most difficult and highly anticipated.

Her return to competition in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics has been marked by increased consistency and refinement, suggesting she remains a top contender for gold on floor.

Signature Moves and Difficulty Level

The floor exercise is where Biles has introduced some of her most iconic skills, including the “Biles” and “Biles II” elements:

• The “Biles” is a double layout with a half twist (also known as a double layout half-out), a move so complex it was named after her when she debuted it during the 2013 World Championships.
• The “Biles II” is a triple-twisting double backflip, an unprecedented skill in women’s gymnastics that cemented her position at the forefront of the sport. This move carries one of the highest difficulty ratings in the code of points.

These elements, combined with her exceptional execution, create routines with some of the highest difficulty scores in the world. Her floor routines typically start with a D-score (difficulty score) above 6.7, which is considered elite in women’s artistic gymnastics.

Notable Scoring Patterns

Biles consistently earns some of the highest execution scores on floor due to her clean landings, minimal deductions, and mastery of transitions between tumbling passes and dance elements. Her routines are choreographed to leverage her strengths—dynamic power, impeccable timing, and crowd-pleasing charisma.

Throughout her career, she has averaged scores above 15.000 in international competition on floor, a benchmark only a handful of gymnasts have ever reached. Her ability to combine difficulty with artistry makes her scores consistently outpace those of her closest competitors.

Historical Achievements in Floor Routine

Simone Biles has won four World Championship gold medals on floor (2013, 2014, 2015, and 2019), showcasing long-term dominance in this event. Her 2016 Olympic gold cemented her status as the greatest floor performer of her generation.

In total, Biles holds more individual floor exercise titles at the World Championship level than any other gymnast, male or female. Her performances have not only earned medals but also influenced how floor routines are constructed, judged, and appreciated globally.

Her impact on the floor event goes beyond medals—she has inspired a generation of gymnasts to push boundaries and embrace more ambitious tumbling passes, while setting a new gold standard for performance under pressure.

Vault Dominance

Simone Biles has established herself as one of the most dominant vaulters in the history of gymnastics. Her achievements on this apparatus are a result of unmatched power, technique, and innovation, setting her apart from her peers both in national and international competitions, including the Olympics.

Signature "Biles" Vault Details

One of the most defining elements of Biles' vaulting success is her ability to perform some of the most difficult vaults ever attempted by a female gymnast. Among her signature skills is the "Biles" vault, officially known as the Yurchenko double pike. This vault involves a round-off onto the springboard, a back handspring onto the vaulting table, followed by two back flips in a pike position. Its extreme difficulty and risk have made it one of the most talked-about vaults in the sport.

The Yurchenko double pike is so demanding that it was not included in women’s vault competition until Biles debuted it in 2021. The vault was given a start value of 6.6, making it the most difficult vault in women’s gymnastics at the time. Its successful execution not only demonstrated Biles’ extraordinary physical capabilities but also her willingness to push the sport forward.

Olympic Scoring Breakdown

At the Olympic Games, Biles has consistently received some of the highest vault scores in the competition. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, her vault score of 15.966 in the team final helped lead Team USA to gold. In the individual vault final, she earned a combined average of 15.966 across two vaults, securing her the gold medal.

Her vaulting performances are characterized by high start values, minimal deductions for form and landings, and exceptional amplitude. Judges routinely award her with top marks for execution due to her precise body position, height off the table, and near-flawless landings.

Technical Complexity

The technical difficulty of Biles’ vaults is unmatched in women’s gymnastics. In addition to the Yurchenko double pike, she has successfully performed other high-difficulty vaults such as the Amanar (a Yurchenko with 2.5 twists) and the Cheng (a round-off half-on, front layout with 1.5 twists). These vaults require immense strength, spatial awareness, and impeccable technique, all of which Biles possesses in abundance.

The combination of these vaults in competition increases her scoring potential, as the difficulty values significantly boost her overall total. Her ability to perform multiple elite-level vaults also allows her to strategically select routines based on competition needs.

Competition Advantages

Biles’ vault dominance gives her a considerable edge in all-around and event finals. Vault is often one of the highest-scoring apparatuses, and her consistently high marks provide a cushion over competitors. In team competitions, her vault scores are a crucial contribution, often setting the tone for strong overall performances.

Moreover, her reputation as a vaulter influences how other athletes approach the event. Few gymnasts attempt the same level of difficulty, which means Biles enters competitions with a built-in advantage—higher start values that others can rarely match.

Her vaulting prowess also has a psychological impact. Judges, competitors, and audiences alike anticipate excellence when Biles steps onto the runway, and she rarely disappoints. Her dominance on vault is not just about scores—it's about redefining what's possible in women's gymnastics.

Balance Beam Excellence

Simone Biles' performance on the balance beam is a testament to her technical mastery, unwavering focus, and exceptional athleticism. While she is renowned for her dynamic floor routines and groundbreaking vaults, the beam showcases a different side of her gymnastics—one that highlights grace under pressure and precise execution.

Current Olympic Performance Analysis

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), Biles made headlines not only for her gymnastics but also for her courageous decision to prioritize mental health. She withdrew from several events but returned to compete in the balance beam final, where she earned a bronze medal. This performance was significant not just for the medal itself, but for the resilience and composure she demonstrated under intense global scrutiny.

In that routine, Biles adjusted her dismount to a simpler double pike, showcasing her ability to adapt while maintaining a high level of execution. Her routine was marked by clean connections, steady landings, and minimal deductions—a remarkable feat considering the pressure and limited preparation time.

Technical Precision and Difficulty Elements

The balance beam is one of the most challenging apparatus in women's artistic gymnastics due to its narrow width (just 10 cm) and the requirement for continuous movement and precise control. Biles excels in this event through her:

• Complex acrobatic series, such as back handsprings to layout step-outs
• High-level dance elements, including split leaps with full turns
• Exceptional amplitude and form throughout the routine
• Ability to link difficult skills for bonus connection value

While Biles is perhaps better known for her explosive power on vault and floor, her beam routines consistently include high-difficulty elements that rival those of any competitor. Her strength and balance allow her to execute these skills with remarkable stability, minimizing wobbles and deductions.

Past Achievements on Beam

Throughout her career, Biles has earned multiple medals on the balance beam in both World Championships and Olympic Games. Notable accomplishments include:

• Gold medal on beam at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart
• Bronze medal on beam at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics
• Consistent podium finishes at national competitions and international events

Her performance at the 2019 World Championships was particularly significant, as she debuted a new dismount: a double-double (two flips and two twists), which was later named the "Biles" in the Code of Points. Although she did not use this dismount at the Olympics due to safety and strategic reasons, its inclusion in competition further solidified her innovation on the apparatus.

Mental Strength Requirements

The balance beam is often considered the most mentally demanding apparatus in women's gymnastics. A minor lapse in concentration can result in a fall or major deduction. Biles' continued excellence on beam is a reflection of her mental toughness, focus, and ability to perform under pressure.

Her return to beam at the Tokyo Olympics after stepping away from other events due to the "twisties" (a mental block that disrupts spatial awareness) underscored her mental resilience. Choosing to compete on beam, where twisting motions are limited compared to vault or floor, demonstrated strategic insight and remarkable courage.

In short, Simone Biles' excellence on the balance beam is not just about athletic prowess—it's a reflection of her adaptability, perseverance, and elite technical skill.

Comparative Analysis of Events

Simone Biles’ gymnastics excellence is evident across all four apparatus, yet a comparative analysis reveals key distinctions in her performance levels, degree of difficulty, and competitive advantages in each event. Evaluating her routines based on scoring potential, consistency, and historical success provides a clearer understanding of her signature strengths.

Floor Exercise vs. Vault

The floor exercise and vault are widely regarded as Simone Biles’ strongest events. She has consistently dominated these apparatus with her explosive power, unmatched difficulty, and high execution scores.

On the floor, Biles is renowned for her tumbling passes, including the “Biles” (double layout half-out) and “Biles II” (triple-twisting double back), both of which carry among the highest difficulty scores in the women’s code of points. Her floor routines combine complex acrobatics with clean form, artistry, and musicality, often earning scores above 15.000 in international competition. She has won multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medals in floor, cementing her as one of the greatest performers of this discipline.

Vault, on the other hand, showcases Biles' raw power and aerial precision. Her vaults include the “Biles” (Yurchenko half-on with two twists off), which is so difficult that it has been undervalued in scoring due to safety concerns and competitive fairness. Despite this, she frequently achieves the highest vault scores in major competitions. In terms of consistency, her vaults are less prone to deductions than her floor routines, making vault a strategically reliable medal event for her.

Balance Beam vs. Uneven Bars

Though not as dominant as floor and vault, Biles has also achieved significant success on the balance beam. Her beam routines are characterized by high difficulty elements, such as the full-in dismount and intricate acrobatic series, performed with exceptional balance and control. Mental focus is critical on beam, and Biles’ ability to deliver under pressure was evident in her 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medal performance, following a temporary withdrawal from other events. Historically, she has medaled multiple times on beam at the World Championships, showcasing her resilience and composure.

In contrast, the uneven bars have traditionally been Biles' weakest event. While still highly competitive on bars, her routines historically feature slightly lower difficulty values compared to the world's top specialists. However, she has made noticeable improvements over the years in terms of form, fluidity, and connection value. Despite not typically being a medal contender on bars, Biles' consistent execution helps bolster her all-around score and secures her place in team events.

Event Scoring and Competitive Strategy

From a scoring perspective, Biles' routines in floor and vault offer the highest potential due to their exceptional difficulty and consistent execution. These events often serve as her strongest medal opportunities, and they play a crucial role in team competitions where cumulative scores matter. Her beam performances add strategic depth, especially when executed cleanly under pressure. Meanwhile, while the uneven bars are less likely to yield individual medals, they remain a key component in her all-around strategy.

This comparative analysis highlights Simone Biles’ unique versatility: although she excels in all apparatus, her dominance on floor and vault sets her apart from competitors, while her evolving performances on beam and bars reflect her commitment to all-around excellence.

While Simone Biles excels on vault and beam, her floor exercise routines are what truly define her legacy. With groundbreaking skills, unmatched difficulty, and a string of gold medals, floor is undeniably her best event. Her performances continue to set the gold standard in the sport, inspiring new generations and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gymnastics. Want to explore more of Biles’ record-breaking skills? Discover her top routines and how they changed the face of women’s gymnastics.