Simone Biles has reclaimed the gymnastics world after a two-year absence – just three months after returning to competition.
The American superstar won the individual all-around title for the sixth time at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp on Friday, becoming the most decorated gymnast in the sport’s history.
A decade after she won her first victory as a 16-year-old in the same Belgian city, Biles scored 58.399 points on the balance beam, floor, vault and uneven bars, beating Rebeca Andrade, the defending Brazilian champion, by 1.633 points.
Biles’ U.S. teammate Shilese Jones took the bronze medal with 56.332 points.
It was Biles’ 27th World Championship medal – and 21st gold. It came two days after the four-time Olympic gold medalist led the U.S. women to a record-tying seventh straight victory in the team competition.
Simone Biles celebrates her 27th World Championship medal after the all-around final on Friday
Biles (C) – a four-time Olympic gold medalist – is by far the most decorated gymnast in history
The 26-year-old Biles scored 58.399 points on the balance beam, floor, vault and uneven bars in Antwerp
Biles now has 34 medals at the World Championships and Olympics, making her the most decorated gymnast of all time – male or female – in the sport’s two most prestigious competitions, ahead of the retired Vitaly Scherbo.
Biles’ only slip-up came at the very end, just as she was completing her floor routine. After an almost flawless performance, she stumbled towards the end of her routine as she was about to start a jumping sequence. But she recovered in style, and the points deduction didn’t cost her enough to deprive her of the gold medal.
“I know my parents had a heart attack,” Biles told her coach.
With the Paris Olympics less than a year away, Biles is back in top form. And despite fierce competition from Andrade and Jones, she remains one step ahead of the rest – a full decade into her reign.
Biles has been dominant since her return from a two-year hiatus after her performance at the pandemic-affected Tokyo Olympics was plagued by a mental block called “The Twisties.” She was expected to emerge as the individual all-around champion in Tokyo, but withdrew from competition to focus on her mental well-being.
After announcing her return, she impressed at the US Classic in early August and claimed her eighth national title a few weeks later. This week she is competing in her first world championships since 2019.
Biles received the loudest applause during the athlete presentation, and Andrade’s name was also greeted with loud cheers.
Biles, 26, returned to the same Belgian city where she won her first world title a decade ago
The floor exercise gave Simone Biles a record-breaking sixth all-around world title. 👑
She now holds the record for the most combined World and Olympic medals (34). pic.twitter.com/rROp1ZNqzh
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023
Biles still has the women’s vault and uneven bars finals on Saturday and the balance beam and floor exercise finals on Sunday before heading back to the United States
Biles, Jones and Andrade competed in the same rotation and began their competition on vault. Jones got off to a solid start, catching a double-twist Yurchenko with a small jump, giving her 14.233 points.
Wearing her blue jersey, Biles then opted for a Cheng jump – not the more difficult Yurchenko Double Pike that she mastered during team qualification – and was near perfect in her execution, scoring 15.100 points. Andrade, the defending champion, also attempted a Cheng, but her execution wasn’t as good as Biles’ and she had to settle for 14.700.
Even on her weakest apparatus, the uneven bars, Biles still managed a 14.333, which put her in the lead over Andrade, who, after a long wait, performed an excellent stretch routine, reducing the gap from her American rival to just 0.233 points before switching to the balance beam .
Biles looked a little shaky as she mounted the beam, but the rest of her routine was excellent. Jones put in a great performance and moved up to second overall. After her mission, Biles gave her a warm hug.
Andrade jumped out of bounds seconds before finishing her floor routine, a fluffy final step that marred an otherwise brilliant performance. The mistake cost her three tenths of a point, but not her silver medal.
Biles’ competition continues this weekend with the women’s vault and uneven bars finals on Saturday and the balance beam and floor exercise finals on Sunday.