The winning gymnast at Athens 2004 analyzes the American’s sensational performance at the World Championships, the first woman to perform a Yurchenko
Simone Biles is the best gymnast in history . After closing the world championships in Antwerp, Belgium, with a total of five medals, four of which were gold, the American athlete has definitively established herself as the strongest ever .
In this edition of the world championship, which marked her return to the big stages after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and taking a break to preserve her mental health, Biles was simply spectacular. She reached the top of the podium in the team discipline, in the individual, on the beam and in the floor exercise, winning second position in the vault.
However, what will remain indelible in the collective memory is the jump that now bears her name: during qualifying, Biles flawlessly performed the Yurchenko double pike on vault . No other woman before her had ever performed this “impossible leap,” previously only achieved by men.
Another name in the history of artistic gymnastics is Igor Cassina, Olympic champion in the bars at the 2004 Athens Olympics . Now, the adopted Treviso lives in Silea with his partner Valentina and their children, Riccardo and Eleonora. Here, he is developing a business project in the wellness sector. No one better than him can understand the value of what Simone Biles has achieved for artistic gymnastics , and analyze the mental aspects of a great athlete who, throughout her life, has faced and overcome numerous difficulties.
Cassina, how do you rate Biles’ performance at the Antwerp World Championships and her execution of the movement which is now called Biles II?
«For me, gymnastics is an intense and profound passion, it is a great pride to comment on the exploits of athletes who perform incredible exercises. Indeed, credible, because they make them. I met Biles at the Jesolo trophy in 2013, she was just starting out but her potential and talent were already visible. At the World Championships in Antwerp she presented, to be simpler, a round flic with double pike jump: few men present it on vault, for a woman it is much more complicated due to physical structure and height of the apparatus which is lower and therefore less space to run it. The difficulty is maximum, you need to have concentration, clarity and confidence. In competition, extreme gestures are performed and unexpected events can happen. Biles has the enormous characteristic of presenting different movements, some of her have taken her name because she was the first to perform them, with lightness and simplicity ».
How much training does it take to propose a totally new element?
«Training starts from moment zero, from when you set foot in the gym. Biles is the athlete that she is because at the age of 3 or 4 she entered an artistic gymnastics gym. Naturally you only thought about it in recent years, you try it in total safety in the hole where there are rubber pads that don’t cause any problems when landing even if you make a mistake. These elements are presented only when you are actually aware of the risk and when you are in control of doing so. When I meet her I will ask her how much time passed from the first thought to when she executed it perfectly in a sort of race simulation.”
You also give your name to the Cassina movement, what meaning and value does it have?
«It’s something that remains forever. Giving life to a movement that has never existed before means making the most of, after many training sessions, that concept of vision which is an important piece in life. When I started commentating on competitions in 2012, seeing athletes get on the bar and present the Cassina movement was a bit strange. Then you realize that’s what it’s called: it’s a great satisfaction because it will remain something linked to commitment, sacrifices and work done over the years.”
Biles experienced a difficult childhood and adolescence with several foster care placements, 𝑠e𝑥ual abuse and unfounded allegations of doping. After the Tokyo Olympics you had the courage to take a break and then come back stronger than ever. How important is the mental aspect?
«Biles has shown that she has great character. Sport is the best educational tool, it allows you to shine in your own light, putting aside your past and life experiences. Taking one or two steps back is a noble gesture of intelligence, we stop to understand what to do, how to work on ourselves, grow and start again on the right foot. We live in a society where everyone attributes their own truth when you are in the spotlight. But I want to focus on what Biles expresses for the artistic gymnastics movement, regardless of her palmares: she is a leader, she has light in her eyes, she exudes emotion even when she walks and smiles. I don’t know her, when I see her I will shake her hand, there is only admiration for a woman who has lived through delicate situations and despite everything she is still here to make us emotional.”
Now what are Cassina’s next steps?
«I learned to get excited thanks to my love Valentina and the entrepreneurial project in the wellness sector: we are mainly at a national level but also in 95 countries. I’m fascinated by giving people the opportunity to be recognized for what they’re worth and building a cohesive community to achieve their goals.”
