Upon her return to international competition after two years, Simone Biles had an impressive outing at the 2023 Gymnastics World Championships. The American clinched five medals (four gold and one silver), making her the gymnast with the most Olympic and World Championship medals.

While most fans and enthusiasts of the sport were overjoyed to see Biles back to her winning ways, the head coach of the Russian artistic gymnastics team, Valentina Rodionenko, didn’t share the same sentiments.

She said that Biles’ routine had no artistic element to it, adding that her winning solely based on the difficulty of her moves was unmerited. In an interview with Match TV, Rodionenko said:

“I want to express my regrets about Biles’ victory. What is gymnastics? It’s scary to watch it! Do you think there is at least some kind of aesthetic there – low? There is simply nothing to watch. She has no great performance, only difficulty. She only wins through difficulty.”

Rodionenko stated that she would take up the issue with the International Gymnastics Federation in hopes of a rule change regarding the way judges score a routine.

“We will now submit these questions to the international federation. What should prevail? Beauty and high level of performance while respecting the rules. Or will we only follow the path of complexity? So what will artistic gymnastics look like? Surprise with tips? That’s a big question,” she said.”Unfortunately, during these World Championships, we did not see a single gymnast with a high level of performance. I can only mention the Chinese on the uneven bars. Disappointment,” she added.

Simone Biles makes history at 2023 World Championships

Simone Biles’ comeback to the world of gymnastics couldn’t have gone smoother. After being on the sidelines since stepping down from competing in the team finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she has shown that she hasn’t lost her quality in her time away from the sport.

The 2023 Gymnastics World Championships was her first international competition in over two years, and the 26-year-old showed everyone that she still has what it takes to be on top.

Biles not only walked away from the event with four golds and a silver medal, but she also performed the Yurchenko Double Pike successfully, becoming the first female gymnast to do so in an international competition.

The move will subsequently be renamed the “Biles II” in the gymnastics rule book. It is the fifth move to be named after the American.