Gymnastics sensation Simone Biles has continued her remarkable comeback after a two-year hiatus by clinching her 21st world title with all-around gold at the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
The United States gymnast delivered an outstanding performance on Friday, amassing 58.399 points to secure the title, outshining the defending champion Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, who scored 56.766 points.
Her teammate from the US, Shilese Jones, secured the bronze medal with a score of 56.332. Biles achieved the highest scores on three out of the four apparatuses, with the uneven bars being the exception.
Biles, who initially won her first all-around world title at the age of 16 in Antwerp a decade ago, has now collected a total of 27 world medals, including an impressive 21 golds.
Earlier in the week, she led the US women’s team to their seventh consecutive team title.
In her illustrious career, Biles has now accumulated a staggering 34 medals across the World Championships and Olympics, solidifying her status as the most decorated gymnast in history, surpassing both male and female athletes, in these two pinnacle gymnastic events.
She has even eclipsed Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 33 medals across the Olympics and world championships.
“Actually, I had something in my eye today that I couldn’t get out, I swear it’s true. But I was emotional because 10 years ago, I won my first worlds, and now we’re back here.
“It means everything to me, after everything I’ve put in to get back to this place to feel comfortable and confident enough to compete,” Simone Biles shared.
With several days of competition remaining, it is highly likely that Biles will continue to add to her remarkable medal collection as she is set to compete in four more apparatus finals.
Biles has made a stunning return to the sport following her challenges at the Tokyo Olympics. After entering Japan as the overwhelming favorite due to her four gold medals in Rio de Janeiro five years earlier, she experienced difficulties and withdrew from four out of five finals due to what gymnasts refer to as “twisties,” a temporary mental block causing them to lose their sense of orientation mid-air.
Now back at the pinnacle of her sport, the Texan athlete is preparing for the Paris Olympics after using her break to prioritize her mental health.
“I was actually less nervous today. I was so much more nervous for team finals just because that’s when everything occurred [in Tokyo], so I was a bit traumatized from that, so today I felt a little bit more relaxed. I’m happy that’s over.”
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