"WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS SIMONE BILES CAN BASICALLY DUNK"; "LET'S NOT FORGET SHE'S 4'8": FANS SPLIT OVER GYMNAST'S 12FT. JUMP AT U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
Simone Biles continues to amaze the world with her gymnastics brilliance, and the recent 12ft. jump during a floor routine at the U.S. Olympic Trials is just one of those instances. However, when SportsCenter compared her jump to the height of NBA player Victor Wembanyama, fans had different takes on the gymnast's ability.
Biles was once again dominant at the recently concluded U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials, which saw her qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. She amassed a score of 17.225 to directly qualify for the quadrennial games and was later joined by Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, all of whom took the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th places, respectively.
During one of her floor routines, the seven-time Olympic medalist jumped to a height of 12ft. While it may not seem such a big athletic achievement given that the floor has a trampoline below it, it's astounding when Biles' height (4 ft. 8 inches) is taken into consideration.
SportsCenter drew a comparison between Simone Biles' jump height and Victor Wembanyama's height of 7ft. 4 inches, which to some fans seemed that the media organization was implying that the gymnast could dunk the NBA star.
"So what you're telling me is Simone Biles can basically dunk," a user wrote.
Another user claimed that Biles had jumped so high because of the bouncy floor.
"We just ignoring the fact she is jumping off a bouncy floor? I could jump over wemby too if I got to jump off a trampoline🤷🏼♂️," another user wrote.
However, gymnastics fans defended the Olympic champion, arguing that in comparison to Biles' short height, the jump was indeed commendable.
"Guys let's not forget she's 4'8. Just give this woman an applause," a fan wrote.
Here are some more reactions:
"She's on that bouncy floor. It's not impressive whatsoever," a fan commented.
"At this point, I'm convinced she's got superpowers. No one can tell me otherwise," a Simone Biles fan commented.
"Yall, springs and trampolines are very different. It's crazy for a 4'8" person to reach that height on springs," another fan wrote.
Simone Biles and Co. looking for redemption at Paris Olympics 2020
Simone Biles didn't have the best of campaigns at the Paris Olympics 2024. She returned with a silver and bronze medal from Tokyo. The dismal showing was mostly because of Twisties, a mental condition that saw Biles withdrawing from several finals.
However, Biles has been in impeccable form after returning to competition in 2023. She once again displayed her prowess at the U.S. Olympic Trials and is now looking to win everything there's to win in Paris.
"This is definitely a redemption tour. I feel like we all have more to give. Our Tokyo (Olympics) performances weren't the best," she said (via GymnasticsNow on X).
Biles' teammate at Paris Olympics 2024 Jordan Chiles also expressed similar intentions of redemption. The USA is sending a strong and experienced team to the Olympics this year, and they are expected to come back with similar success as that of the 2016 Rio Olympics, if not better.
2024-07-04T00:14:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd