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 Sunday.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.”I can’t be more thrilled with the performance that I put out at this world championships,” she said.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.”I was really excited. I thought it was going to be at least a 14.8, 14.9, but to see 15, I was like, ‘Well, that’s pretty crazy,’ so I was very proud,” she said.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 U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee took silver, her third medal of the championships, while Angelina Melnikova took bronze for Russia.Biles has won five events at these world championships after team gold Tuesday, individual all-around gold Thursday and vault gold Saturday.A fifth-place finish 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.Of her 25 career world medals, 19 are gold.The 22-year-old gymnast says she’s preparing for the 2020 Olympics.
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 Sunday.
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.
“I can’t be more thrilled with the performance that I put out at this world championships,” she said.
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.
“I was really excited. I thought it was going to be at least a 14.8, 14.9, but to see 15, I was like, ‘Well, that’s pretty crazy,’ so I was very proud,” she said.
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 U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee took silver, her third medal of the championships, while Angelina Melnikova took bronze for Russia.
Biles has won five events at these world championships after team gold Tuesday, individual all-around gold Thursday and vault gold Saturday.
A fifth-place finish 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.
Of her 25 career world medals, 19 are gold.
The 22-year-old gymnast says she’s preparing for the 2020 Olympics.
