Team USA at the 2023 Gymnastics World Championships.Photo:Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty
Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty
Simone Bileshas another win under her belt.
Biles, 26, and team USA — Shilese Jones, Leanne Wong, Skye Blakely and Joscelyn Roberson — finished first in the final of the2023 World Gymnastics Championshipsin Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday.
Roberson did not compete in the team final due to an injury she suffered in warmups on the vault,The Washington Postreported. The 17-year-old from Texas was seen on crutches during the team final, while Wong competed in her place through several rotations.
Brazil took home its first team medal ever at the world championships and France took third to win the bronze medal.
Simone Biles of Team United States competes on Floor Exercise during Women’s Qualifications on Day Two of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.Matthias Hangst/Getty
Matthias Hangst/Getty
Going into Wednesday’s final, the US women were at the top of the leaderboard across almost every event. Already a favorite to win, the team’s performances across the vault, beam, floor, all-around and team competitions secured their place as the likely gold medalists.
The win is history-making for both the team and for Biles herself.
It’s the American women’s seventh consecutive win at the championship, which breaks the tie they previously had with the Chinese men’s team, who won six in a row from 2003 to 2014, according toUSA Today.For Biles, the team win brings her even closer to becoming the most-decorated gymnast of all time. With another gold medal, she currently has 33 medals between the Olympics and the World Championships. At 34, she would become the gymnast with the most medals ever — male or female, per the outlet.
Simone Biles of the Team United States competes on Balance Beam during Women’s Qualifications on Day Two of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.Matthias Hangst/Getty
During the competition,Biles landed one of the world’s most difficult vaultson the world stage for the first time.
On Sunday, she successfully executed the Yurchenko double pike vault, weeks after landing it at the U.S. national championships.
At the world championships, it is graded 6.4 in difficulty, according toNBC Sports. Last year at the competition, the most challenging vault was rated a 5.6, per the outlet.
For Biles, the vault has been in her arsenal since 2021 but she had never before performed it in international competition, per NBC Sports.
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As for whether she’s got her sights set on Paris for the 2024 Olympics, Biles told PEOPLE in Augustshe’s taking things one day at a time.
“Well, in the future, goodness, I feel like Paris is always a good topic to go to, but I think right now, I’m just going to live in the now,” she said. “I just did Classics and Championships and I’m out here competing again when I never thought I would be competing, especially back to the same level and having the same confidence.”
She added, “So I’m just really proud of myself for that. So I would say I’m looking forward to carrying that energy into the next couple meets this year.”
source: people.com
