Simone Biles, the renowned gymnast, has achieved yet another milestone in her career. Ten years after winning her first world title, she secured another all-around gold medal at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. This victory not only adds to her impressive collection but also solidifies her position as the most decorated gymnast in history. Additionally, Biles became the first female gymnast to win six all-around world titles, breaking the previous record held by Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union.
With this triumph, Biles now boasts a staggering total of 34 world and Olympic medals, surpassing Latynina’s record. Her incredible achievements include 27 world championship medals, of which 21 are gold, along with seven Olympic medals. This phenomenal success has firmly established Biles as a force to be reckoned with in the world of gymnastics.
The all-around final showcased a historic moment for the sport, as the podium consisted solely of three Black gymnasts. Biles, as the reigning all-around world champion, led the way with a strong performance on all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor. Although she did not execute her signature Yurchenko double pike vault, Biles opted for a Cheng and received a score of 15.100.
Moving to the uneven bars, Biles delivered a clean routine and earned a score of 14.333. While she did not top the standings in the qualification round for this event, Biles still secured a spot in the uneven bars final scheduled for Saturday. Despite a wobbly start on the balance beam, Biles regained her confidence and performed a confident routine. Holding a narrow lead over her competitors, Shilese Jones and Rebeca Andrade, Biles needed a score of 12.901 in the final rotation to secure the gold medal. Though she stumbled during a dance skill, Biles successfully executed all her tumbling passes, achieving a score of 14.533.
Biles’ individual all-around victory follows her leadership of the U.S. women’s team, which obtained their seventh consecutive gold medal. The team competition faced initial challenges when Joscelyn Roberson, Biles’ teammate at World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, suffered an injury during warm-ups. Despite this setback, the U.S. team managed to finish over two points ahead of the silver medal-winning team from Brazil. Throughout the competition, Biles demonstrated her exceptional skills across all four events, particularly with a remarkable floor routine that secured the team’s victory.
This remarkable feat also makes Biles the oldest U.S. woman to win a world championship medal at the age of 26. While Biles has already clinched two gold medals at these world championships, she still faces further competition. She has qualified for every possible final, including the individual apparatus finals for all events. Leading the rankings for the all-around, vault, floor exercise, and balance beam, Biles also secured fifth place in the uneven bars final.
During the qualification round, Biles made history by being the first woman to successfully land a brand-new vault called the Yurchenko double pike. This skill has been officially recognized and included in the women’s gymnastics code of points with a difficulty score of 6.4. As a result, the vault has been named the “Biles II,” as it is her second original skill on the apparatus.
After her struggles with the “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Sunday marked Biles’ return to international competition. Her dedication and perseverance have once again positioned her as a dominant force in the gymnastics world.
Looking ahead, Biles will compete in the individual apparatus finals for vault and uneven bars on Saturday, followed by the balance beam and floor finals on the last day of the competition, Sunday. Audiences can catch the live broadcasts of all four events on Peacock.
Correction: In a previous version of this article, it was incorrectly stated that Simone Biles was the first gymnast overall to win six all-around world titles. She is, in fact, the first female gymnast to achieve this distinction.
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