Simone Biles sets medal record at gymnastics worlds
Simone Biles broke the all-time record for most medals by any gymnast at the world championships by winning the balance beam and floor exercise yesterday.
Biles won her 24th medal on the beam, breaking a tie on 23 with the Belarusian men’s gymnast Vitaly Scherbo, and added her 25th less than two hours later.
Biles scored 15.066 on the beam after a near-flawless routine, opting for a simpler dismount than the double-double she performed earlier in the championships.
When her score was announced, guaranteeing the medal record, Biles leaped up from her seat with a broad smile and punched the air.
China took silver and bronze with Liu Tingting on 14.433 and Li Shijia on 14.3, respectively.
Biles won the floor exercise by a full point, scoring 15.133 despite a step out of bounds on one pass, and blew kisses to the audience after finishing her routine. Her US teammate Sunisa Lee took silver, her third medal of the championships, while Angelina Melnikova took bronze for Russia.
Her winning routine came after a long wait when Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saraiva requested an inquiry into her score, during which time Biles sat on the edge of the floor.
Biles has won five events at these world championships after team gold Tuesday, individual allaround gold Thursday and vault gold Saturday.
A fifth place on uneven bars Saturday ended Biles’ chances of winning a medal in all six events, which she did last year in her comeback world championships after a sabbatical in 2017.