Simone Biles wins 6th all-around title at worlds to become most decorated gymnast in history

Simone Biles, after a remarkable two-year absence from competitive gymnastics, has once again ascended to the pinnacle of the sport. The American gymnastics icon clinched her sixth individual all-around title at the world championships, etching her name as the most decorated gymnast in history.

A full decade since her first victory as a 16-year-old in the same Belgian city, Biles amassed an impressive total score of 58.399 points across the balance beam, floor, vault, and uneven bars, outclassing the Brazilian defending champion, Rebeca Andrade, by a notable 1.633-point margin. Her compatriot, Shilese Jones, secured the bronze medal with a score of 56.332 points.

This victory marked Biles’ 27th world championship medal, of which 21 are gold. Her triumph followed a record-setting seventh consecutive team event win for the U.S. women at the same championship, further solidifying her legacy.

With this win, Biles has now accumulated 34 medals between world championships and Olympics, establishing herself as the most decorated gymnast in history, surpassing even the retired Vitaly Scherbo, regardless of gender.

In a nearly flawless performance, the only hiccup occurred at the conclusion of her floor routine, where Biles stumbled briefly as she transitioned into a sequence of leaps. However, her resilience and skill allowed her to recover without incurring a significant points deduction, securing her the gold medal.

Biles’ return to peak form comes as the Paris Olympics loom less than a year away. Despite fierce competition from Andrade and Jones, she remains a class apart, even a decade into her reign at the top of gymnastics.

Simone Biles’ dominance resumed after a two-year hiatus following her struggles with the “twisties” during the Tokyo Olympics. Despite high expectations in Tokyo, she chose to withdraw from individual competition to prioritize her mental well-being.

Her return to competition earlier this year, starting with an impressive performance at the U.S. Classic, culminated in her eighth national title. This world championship marks her first appearance since 2019.

The enthusiastic reception from the audience during the athlete presentation reflected her enduring popularity, with Rebeca Andrade also receiving resounding cheers.

Biles, Jones, and Andrade all commenced their competition at the vault, where Jones executed a solid double-twisting Yurchenko, earning 14.233 points. Biles, donning her blue leotard, opted for a Cheng vault, demonstrating near perfection and garnering 15.100 points. Andrade, attempting a Cheng as well, fell short of Biles’ execution, scoring 14.700.

Even in her traditionally weaker event, the uneven bars, Biles impressively achieved a score of 14.333, propelling her ahead of Andrade, who mounted a superb bar routine but trailed Biles by a mere 0.233 points before transitioning to the balance beam.

While Biles initially appeared a bit uncertain on the balance beam, she delivered an outstanding performance. Jones also executed well, securing the second overall spot and receiving an embrace from Biles.

Andrade’s floor routine ended on a slightly unfortunate note as she bounced out of bounds, incurring a three-tenths-of-a-point deduction. Nonetheless, this hiccup did not prevent her from clinching the silver medal.

Simone Biles’ quest for more medals continues with the women’s vault and uneven bars finals on Saturday, followed by the balance beam and floor exercise finals on Sunday.

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