Tomás was 17 years old when he arrived at the World Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim, United States. There, he performed an extraordinary move on the floor: a straight-back somersault with three and a half twists. González hoped the move would be named after him, but the FIG did not recognize it at the time, because back then, adding half a twist to an existing element was not enough to name a new one.
Years later, the rules changed, and after completing the necessary procedures, in 2018 the FIG officially incorporated the “González” into the Scoring Code.
That milestone encapsulates a career marked by perseverance. González rose to number one in the world rankings in floor exercise and vault, and in 2012 he became the first Chilean gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games. In London, he finished fourth in floor exercise and vault; he then competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
His career paved the way for Chilean gymnastics and brought it unprecedented visibility in the country. And in the process, he secured “González’s” place in the history of the sport worldwide.
Sources: La Tercera, Wikipedia.
