Make it 23 titles: Unstoppable Biles wraps up world championships comeback with 2 more gold medals

Biles claimed a third, then a fourth gold medal on Sunday

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Simone Biles’ appetite for victory is insatiable.

The American superstar claimed a third, then a fourth gold medal at the 2023 gymnastics world championships Sunday by winning the women’s balance beam and floor finals in a dominant fashion on the final day of the competition.

Biles started the afternoon with a superb beam routine, oozing confidence throughout. She had no hesitation on her jumps and delivered controlled spins before dismounting in style, with just a small hop when landing. She earned a score of 14.800 points to win ahead of China’s Zhou Yaqin by a margin of just 0.1 of a point. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil took the bronze medal.

Although she stepped out of bounds midway through her highly difficult routine, Biles earned the day’s best score, 14.633 points. It was Biles’ sixth world floor championship, a discipline where she remains undefeated.

Andrade, another star of the sport, took the silver medal ahead of her Brazil teammate Flavia Saraiva.

In Antwerp — where she started her collection of 23 world titles 10 years ago as a 16-year-old — Biles has made a stunning return to the international stage.

She also claimed a silver medal on vault after the sixth all-around title that made her the most decorated gymnast in history, male or female. And she led the U.S. women to a record seventh straight victory in the team event.

Biles has won a record 37 medals at the world championships and Olympics.

Biles was competing at her first world championships since 2019 this week after a two-year break she used to focus on her mental health following the Tokyo Olympics. She only returned to competition this summer.

In the men’s competition, Daiki Hashimoto of Japan — who earlier this week became the first athlete to win back-to-back world all-around titles in eight years — won the horizontal bar final with 15.233 points. Tin Srbic of Croatia trailed 0.533 points behind in second place, with China’s Su Weide completing the podium

Jake Jarman gave Britain its first medal by taking gold in the vault with a combined score of 15.050 points. Jarman started with a nearly flawless vault and was pumped after he landed a Dragulescu on his second effort, giving a big hug to his coach and raising his arms in triumph.

His total allowed him to leapfrog American Khoi Young by a margin of 0.201.

Young’s pair of vaults earned him a runner-up finish and a third medal this week to go with the bronze in the team event and silver on the pommel horse. Nazar Chepurnyi of Ukraine finished third.

Young grinned broadly after sticking his second vault and turned toward fans waving American flags, urging them to make more noise as cheers and applause erupted from the stands at the Sportpaleis venue.

Lukas Dauser of Germany took gold in the men’s parallel bars with a huge 15.400, finishing ahead of China’s Shi Cong and Kaito Sugimoto of Japan.

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