Simone Biles no longer had to prove anything. But if there was still any doubt, she wanted to continue to make a difference. She repeated her Biles II – the Yurchenko double pike somersault, the most difficult jump in women’s gymnastics – although this time she fell backwards. But Biles didn’t care and this time she laughed. The American won silver in the vault against Rebeca Andrade (14.750), who returned the favor with gold at the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. Biles stayed off the podium on the uneven bars, where 16-year-old China’s Qiu Qiyuan (15.100) was the winner. On the first day of the apparatus finals, three champions and two masters were proclaimed. On floor gold went to Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat (14,866), on pommel horse to Irish Rhys McClenaghan (15,100) and in rings to China’s Liu Yang (15,233).
Kazuki Minami started the field with great difficulty, marked the terrain and set the bar high with 14.666. A piece of paper that would finally give him the money. The always dapper Filipino Carlos Yulo, who looked askance at the stopwatch during his practice, couldn’t beat him. Not even the bronze medal in the all-around competition for Fred Richard, who, although he impressed the audience with his skills, came up short in the exercises and ended up falling to the ground. But Artem Dolgopyat did it: He nailed his routine and secured the gold medal with 14.866. Daiki Hashimoto, reigning Olympic and world champion, went last and did so with great force. So much so that he easily left the mat lines and left the podium with a score of 14.233. Bronze went to Kazakh Milad Karimi (14,600), who capped his World Championships.
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The final seemed close. And even more so with the expected distribution of women’s jumping medals. The fight between Biles, already gold in teams and the all-around, and Rebeca Andrade returned. The American presented the colt with Biles II. This time, however, he fell backwards. But he didn’t care and made the second jump and achieved an average of 14.549. France’s Coline Devillard, reigning European jumping champion, placed her hands when landing and did not perform the two planned pirouettes of the second element. Biles sat anxiously, watching Andrade’s perfect routine and how he took the gold medal from the American with a score of 14.750. Korea’s Yeo Seo-Jong, who excelled in the vault, completed the podium and took the bronze medal with a score of 14.416.
On the pommel horse, one of the most complicated pieces of equipment, shocks and falls threatened the gymnasts’ medals. Max Whitlock, a three-time world champion and two-time Olympian on the colt, fell during the exercise because his movement failed. Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan came out last and scored a 15.100 to win gold again. Khoi Young, second, did not give up after the masters’ exercises and won silver with 14.966, while Armenia’s Eahmad Abu Al-Soud took bronze (14.633).
😥 She tried her star jump to become world champion but it didn’t go well.
Simone Biles had to settle for silver in the vault final behind Rebeca Andrade. pic.twitter.com/rEriOfJZ1n
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) October 7, 2023
Simone Biles had another chance to win gold again. But it was the uneven bars, exactly the only apparatus in which the American did not lead the rankings. The last one came out. I had a good workout, but I opened my legs a little and couldn’t get past 14,200. He said goodbye to the podium. His compatriot Shilese Jones opened the season and set the bar high with 14.766 points, which earned him bronze. Naomi Visser failed the exercises and Lorette Charpy fell from the bars, cheered on by the audience as she pulled herself together. But the Sportpaleis fell to second place with 15.033 with the great difficulty of Kayla Nemour’s routine. The gold went to young Qiu Qiyuan, who once again demonstrated her talent and remembered being the best in the asymmetrical event with an overwhelming 15,100 points.
In the rings, Harry Hepworth seemed disappointed with his 14,100. Without the defending world title, big specialists like the Chinese You Hao or Liu Yang were considered favorites. Olympic rings runner-up Hao flexed his muscles for the camera as judges announced his 14.833 and he took the podium in third place. The Greek Eleftherios Petrounias marked the distance with 15.066. The exit, nailed down. The grade is enough for second place. But the level didn’t stop rising. And when it seemed like he couldn’t do it anymore, reigning Olympic ring champion Yang took the gold medal with an impressive 15.233.
And after almost four hours of finals, the day was over. Five medals are still up for grabs, although Biles will no longer be able to repeat the five gold medals from the 2019 World Cup, but she will be able to improve her record in the floor exercise and balance beam.
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