Simone Biles wins vault to tie worlds medal record
American gymnast equals Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo with 23 medals
STUTTGART: Simone Biles won the women’s vault competition at the gymnastics world championships on Saturday to tie the record for most world medals by any gymnast, but couldn’t add another in the uneven bars.
Biles successfully defended her vault title on Saturday by sticking the landing on her two vaults, a Cheng and an Amanar, for a score of 15.399. Biles’ U.S. teammate Jade Carey took the silver on 14.883, with Ellie Downie of Britain third on 14.816.
That took Biles to 23 career world championship medals, equaling the mark set by Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo for any gymnast, male or female.
Biles has the chance to take the record outright in Sunday’s balance beam and floor events.
“I think it’s impressive. Also, I don’t really think of it going into the competition, because I feel that kind of weighs heavy on me,” Biles said. “I just go in, do what I’m supposed to, and whatever the outcome is, I just kind of let it happen.”
The 22-year-old American had the chance to make it 24 in the uneven bars, but couldn’t repeat her silver-medal performance from last year and finished fifth.
Belgian uneven bars specialist Nina Derwael retained her world title with a score of 15.233, ahead of Britain’s Becky Downie on 15, one of two sisters to win medals Saturday. Sunisa Lee took bronze for the U.S. on 14.8.
Biles scored 14.7, finishing by sticking the landing on a dismount with two flips and two twists. The uneven bars has traditionally been her weakest event and was the only one in which she didn’t win a medal at the 2016 Olympics.
“Right now, I couldn’t be more happy with the performances I put out today. Obviously no medal on bars, but I’m not even mad about it,” Biles said.
“I knew going into today there was a very slim chance that I would even medal, but to make a bar final and get to represent the country, I feel really proud because this is not one of my strong suits. But it’s getting up there and I just feel really proud.”
Of Biles’ 23 world championship medals, 17 are gold against 11 for Scherbo, who won his from 1991 through 1996. Scherbo competed at four world championships, against Biles’ five, but the men’s program contains more events. Biles came into the world championships tied as women’s record-holder on 20 with Svetlana Khorkina, but broke the tie with team gold Tuesday before winning her fifth individual allaround gold two days later.
In the men’s events, Britain’s Max Whitlock won his third world title in pommel horse, while the Philippines (floor exercise) and Turkey (rings) celebrated their first-ever world champions.