The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
How Biles can make history again
Simone Biles and the U.S. women are out to make some history.
The world gymnastics championships began this weekend in Antwerp, Belgium, and Biles could become the most decorated gymnast of all-time, male or female, while the U.S. women are seeking a record seventh consecutive team title.
“I’m really excited,” Biles said after she clinched her spot on the world team at last week’s selection camp. “I think we’ll have a really great team.”
Biles needs two more medals to pass Vitaly Scherbo for most at the world championships and Olympics combined. Scherbo won 33 in the 1990s, when he competed for the Soviet Union, Unified Team and Belarus.
One of those should come in the team competition, which the Americans have won at every world championships going back to 2011. That matches the record for consecutive wins set by China’s men from 2003 to 2014. (There are no world championships in an Olympic year, and it’s an individual event competition the year after an Olympics.)
The U.S. men, meanwhile, are trying to qualify for next summer’s Paris Olympics.
When and where are the world championships?
They are Saturday through Oct. 8 at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium.
The competition begins with qualifying Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The U.S. men compete in the third qualifying session, on Sept. 30, and the U.S. women are in the second session Oct. 1.
The men’s team final is Oct. 3, followed by the women’s team final on Oct. 4. The all-around finals are Oct. 5 (men) and Oct. 6 (women), and the meet concludes with event finals Oct. 7-8.
How can I watch?
The finals will be streamed on Peacock, and there will be a highlights show on CNBC on Oct. 8. NBC Sports also says it will post selected highlights to its digital channels, including on YouTube. The qualifying sessions, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, can be streamed on AllGymnastics.tv.
What’s at stake?
History and spots at the Paris Olympics.
In addition to the all-time record for medals, Biles could have another skill named after her if she does the Yurchenko double pike vault in competition. It would be the fifth Biles skill, for those counting. She already has two named after her on floor exercise, and one each on balance beam and vault.
While the U.S. women are already qualified for next summer’s Olympics as one of the medalists at last year’s world championships, there are still nine spots left to be filled for both the men’s and women’s team competitions in Paris.
The nine best teams in qualifying that aren’t already set for Paris will be able to send a full, five-person squad to next summer’s Olympics. The U.S. men should be one of these, having finished fifth last year. The next three teams after that will be able to send a single gymnast.
Spots for individual gymnasts also will be up for grabs. The top eight men in qualifying on teams that didn’t earn spots in Paris will get to go to the Olympics, as will the top 14 women.
Where’s Russia?
Still not here.
The International Gymnastics Federation has said it could allow “neutral” athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete, but not until Jan. 1. While that would still give gymnasts time to qualify for the Paris Olympics, proving they have not supported the war and aren’t associated with the national federation will be a challenge.
Most of the top Russian gymnasts have made appearances at rallies in support of the war, and the men’s team that won gold in Tokyo bought a drone for Russian troops. Valentina Rodionenko, Russia’s head coach, has also rejected the idea of gymnasts competing as a “neutral” athlete.
“We will not agree to these terms anyway. We have enough of groveling and standing with outstretched hands,” Rodionenko said earlier this year.