They call it the “Biles.” One of the toughest moves in gymnastics, Simone Biles debuted her signature flip at the 2018 Worlds, and it instantly reached iconic status.
Since then, many gymnasts have attempted to master the “Biles,” but few have succeeded.
So naturally, Heath Thorpe decided to take on the challenge.
We last covered Thorpe in September, when the Australian heartthrob was working the World Gymnastics Championships in Belgium as a reporter. Despite winning the Australian All-Around Championships, one of the country’s highest honors in gymnastics, he was curiously snubbed from Australia’s World Championship squad.
Many in the gymnastics world were outraged, including Biles, who called attention to Thorpe when she saw him. “I’m happy that you are here but you should be out here with us. We miss you,” she said.
The two also posed for a picture.
Since then, Thorpe has been competing in Germany and Belgium, impressing judges and fans alike with his flamboyant routine.
But he still can’t quite master the “Biles.”
Thorpe gave his followers a peek at the preparation that goes into landing the legendary move. “As I start every vault session, I sit there and wonder what I’m doing with my life and have an existential crisis,” he says.
But then Thorpe says he places those thoughts of doubt into the back of his mind and gets to work. With help from Biles herself, he’s been inching towards his goal.
But on the mat, not everything goes as expected. On his first attempt, he landed right on his head.
“Girl, almost died,” he declares.
After hopping out of the pit, Thorpe also realizes he cut open his leg with his nails.
Ouch!
But he kept pushing, and then finally, it clicked.
Well, kind of. Thorpe says he got cocky and decided to add another mat into the equation.
He landed on his head again.
“Credit to you Simone,” he says. “This vault is hard. I don’t know how you do it girl.”
In the comments, Biles says she understands Thorpe’s pain — especially when it comes to his nails.
“The nail bit is so real,” she remarked.
It’s pretty awesome that Thorpe is so close with Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most accomplished gymnasts around. Even though Thorpe’s Olympic dreams are still up in the air, he’s already become a household name.
In that sense, he’s already accomplished his goal.
The 22-year-old publicly came out as gay when he was 18, and has often spoken about the dearth of out athletes in his sport.
“When I was younger, there were no queer gymnasts competing on the international level,” he said in an interview about his advocacy efforts. “So when I was coming to terms with my identity, I now realize how significant it could’ve been if there were one or even two people at the top level being themselves.”
One of Thorpe’s primary missions is adding more artistry into male gymnastics, a point that he’s never shy about making.
“Artistry in the eyes of men’s gymnastics equals femininity and for some reason we see that as a bad thing,” he told Inside Gymnastics last year.
It’s apparent that gymnastics fans everywhere appreciate Thorpe’s efforts. He shared Thursday his Instagram reels have received more than 12 million views this year!
We know, Biles, one of the all-time greats, is a fan just like us.
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dbmcvey
Very sweet!
barryaksarben
so good looking and what a nice seeming guy
Invader7
Yeah good looking ,rocking body.., and a Nellie voice…Doesn’t do anything for me…