Biles wins vault gold to tie worlds medal record

Stuttgart, October 12 

Simone Biles claimed a record-equalling 23rd medal at the gymnastics World Championships, leading an American one-two finish in the vault final.

Biles produced two breathtaking vaults — a Cheng and an Amanar — to finish with an average score of 15.399 inside a packed arena.

The 22-year-old has now matched Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record tally of 23 world medals and she can surpass him if she takes another medal in the asymmetric bars final. 

Four-time Olympics champion Biles was joined on the podium by teammate Jade Carey, who finished with an average score of 14.883 for her second world medal in three years on the apparatus. Britain’s Ellie Downie landed two well-executed vaults to claim bronze for her first individual medal at the Worlds. It was Biles’s 17th world title and her third victory in Stuttgart this week.

She helped the United States to win their fifth consecutive team title on Tuesday before collecting a record-extending fifth all-around world title on Thursday.

Whitlock wins third pommel horse title

Britain’s Max Whitlock won his third pommel horse title to ensure an ideal preparation for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. The Olympics champion, who fell on the horse during Wednesday’s team final, looked in complete control as he finished with 15.500 points in the final — beating second-placed Lee Chih-kai of Taiwan by a slim margin of 0.067 of a point. 

After finishing second in Doha last year, Whitlock regained his world title to match his feats of 2015 and 2017. Rhys McClenaghan became the first-ever Irish gymnast to clinch a world medal by claiming bronze. — Agencies