ANTWERP – Brazilian Rebeca Andrade won gold in the women’s vault at the Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp on Saturday, after a fall by Simone Biles denied the American another win.
Biles won her 21st World Championships gold medal in Friday’s all-around event, with Andrade, the defending champion, finishing second. But the order was reversed on Saturday, as a near flawless Andrade won by a 0.201-point margin.
Yet, the silver still extended Biles’ record tally of world championship and Olympic medals to 35.
And she showed no sign of stopping by claiming a 22nd world title with gold on the beam on Sunday, sealing it with a dazzling routine which earned her 14.800 points.
China’s Zhou Yaqin, 17, scored 14.700 to take silver with Andrade claiming bronze with 14.300.
“I didn’t expect this, of course in my head I always want to win but the primary goal is to do my thing. I don’t know if I can believe it but it was something that I really wanted,” Andrade said after the vault final. Biles over-rotated her signature Yurchenko double pike – which will be renamed the Biles II – and fell backwards on the mat on landing.
“I didn’t expect Simone to fall, so I feel sad for her because I know how much we train for this,” Andrade added.
The American also took a half-point deduction because her coach stood on the mat as a precaution, ready to assist in case of an accident. After scoring 15.000 points with her first vault, Andrade then pulled off a double twisting Yurchenko.
Biles competed in the uneven bars final as well, but finished fifth in the event won by Qiu Qiyuan of China. Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour earned the silver while American Shilese Jones took the bronze.
Biles also competed on Sunday, the final day of the championships, in the floor final.
Qiu scored 15.100 points to claim the uneven bars gold.
“I am super excited, super happy right now. The moment when I saw my score come up, I almost cried,” said the 16-year-old, who won three golds at the Asian championships in Singapore in June.
In the men’s pommel horse final, Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan retained his title, beating American Khoi Young. Ahmad Abu Al Soud of Jordan took the bronze but missed out on automatic Olympic qualification.
Max Whitlock won gold in this event in 2015, 2017 and 2019, but the British three-time Olympic champion fell during his routine and ended fifth.
Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat took gold in the men’s floor exercise final with a total score of 14.866, ahead of Japan’s Kazuki Minami, while Milad Karimi claimed the bronze medal for Kazakhstan.
The men’s rings final was the last event of the day, and Liu Yang of China won the gold with Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece taking silver and China’s You Hao settling for bronze. REUTERS, AFP
