Gymnastics: Andrade makes history for Brazil by winning world all-around gymnastics title
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Brazil's Rebeca Andrade competes during the floor exercise event of the women's individual all-around final, on Nov 3, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
LIVERPOOL – Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade grabbed all-around gold at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool on Thursday to cement her status as the sport’s newest megastar.
In the absence of US great Simone Biles, the 23-year-old outstripped her American rivals to become the first Brazilian gymnast to win a world all-around title.
Andrade, who was the favourite, is only the second South American to win a medal in the event after compatriot Jade Barbosa’s share of bronze in 2007.
The Brazilian began with a superb vault and took a lead she never looked like surrendering as she upgraded the silver she took home in the competition at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
She scored 56.899 at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. American Shilese Jones was second, with 55.399, followed by Briton Jessica Gadirova (55.199), whose bronze is the first for a British woman at the global event.
“Everything always happens when it needs to,” said Andrade. “I am really happy to have done everything I could, and not lose the competition on my bar routine.
“I did my beam routine with all the connections and all the difficulty, and that was one of my best floor routines ever. I’m so proud of myself. I feel really incredible and satisfied with the competition.”
The Brazilian had a breakthrough year in 2021, winning gold in the vault at the Tokyo Games, then repeating that feat at the world championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, two months later.
She made her senior international debut in 2015 but a succession of injuries hampered her progress until last year in Tokyo, where she became the first Brazilian woman to claim Olympic gold in artistic gymnastics.
Separately, China bounced back from a disappointing qualification campaign to win the men’s team final on Wednesday.
Japan had qualified in first place but were forced to settle for silver, with a Joe Fraser-inspired Britain surging from the foot of the standings at the halfway stage to earn a remarkable bronze at Italy’s expense.
China’s winning team boast 2021 world all-around champion Zhang Boheng, Tokyo 2020 Olympic parallel bars gold medallist Zou Jingyuan, Sun Wei, You Hao and Yang Jiaxing.
“We did so much better compared to the qualification,” said Zhang. “After one day of refreshing our minds and reflecting after the qualifiers, we got great momentum and rhythm today.” AFP, REUTERS
