I Traveled Across The World for a Skill They Rejected

📣 SUPPORT GYMNASTICS INNOVATION! I began developing this skill in 2017 and spent years working to make it possible, failing countless times but staying committed because I believed it could bring something new into men’s gymnastics. In 2021, I officially submitted the Backflip to Planche to World Gymnastics (formerly FIG) and competed it at the 2021 Koper Challenge World Cup in Slovenia, following the exact process required to have a new skill recognized and valued in the Code of Points. As a Team USA gymnast, I qualified for an international competition, paid my own way overseas, submitted the skill, and successfully performed it at a Category 3 World Challenge Cup. Despite meeting all requirements, the skill was awarded a B value instead of the C value needed for official recognition, and when we asked for clarification, we were told it was considered “too circus.” The skill has received hundreds of millions of views online with overwhelmingly positive reactions from fans and athletes around the world. In 2025, after the World Gymnastics Technical Committee changed, we attempted to resubmit the skill at the 2025 Osijek World Cup, but it was rejected again. Without recognition, this skill will likely never be performed in competition again, regardless of audience demand. This is bigger than one skill. Gymnastics should reward innovation, creativity, and athletes who push the sport forward. #gymnastics #gymnast #olympics #olympic #skill #strength #backflip #planche #backflipplanche #rileyloos #calisthenics #acrobatics #circus #stunt