Biles, Hurd finish with gold and silver at World Gymnastics Championship

The United States finished 1-2 to complete the 48^th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Saturday night. Simone Biles and MorganHurd took the gold and silver respectively in the floor exercise event final at the Aspire Dome. Defending champion Mai Murakami  of Japan held onto bronze by 33 hundredths to finish ahead of Russian Angelina Melnikova. Biles won her 20th medal to tie Svetlana Khorkina for the most won by a woman.

Murakami attempted to defend her title from last year knowing the competition would be fierce in the last apparatus final of the year. After Bile’s bronze medal from earlier, the most decorated American would push herself to achieve the gold by any means to finish the year with a bang. Hurd would also play a factor into getting herself on the podium to make a statement for the United States.

The competition began with French gymnast Melanie de Jesus dos Santos and Brazil’s Flavia Saraiva who both had deductions from their scores and would not be a huge factor to the stronger competitors. The same went for Brooklyn Moors of Canada who didn’t have a high difficulty value and executed a 7.666 to finish with the lowest score of the event.

Setting the bar was the defending champion who put down two powerful tumbling passes showing tremendous energy. She finished strong earning a 13.866 that led the last three competitors. Melnikova followed that up with a beautiful routine showing every element of poise and accuracy to come out with a great result. Melnikova scored 13.833 just short of the Japanese gymnast.

The two Americans were next with Biles looking to surpass the top score. She had a great run until she took a big step out keeping the other one inside by the tips of her toes. With the difficulty of her skills, Biles scored a 14.933 putting her well ahead in first place with her teammate the only one that could come close to her result. Hurd kept her whole routine clean with no problems that put her in second with a score of 13.933.

Last to go was Lillia Akhaimova from Russia but she also didn’t have enough to bring a serious threat to the top three which remained that way to give Hurd three medals and Simone a perfect six of six. With Biles proving her return back to the sport, it would be time that stood between herself and making the team that would go to Tokyo 2020 for Team USA.

Liu pulls off late overtake for gold in WGC beam final

Tingting Liu stayed calm under pressure to win the gold at the 48^th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Saturday evening. The 18 year old watched a majority of her competitors struggle on the balance beam to go last and put down the cleanest routine at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar. Canada’s Anne-Marie Padurariu took the silver with Simone Biles holding on to win a bronze.

Biles stands one medal away from tying the record for most won at the world championships and is still competing in two events on the final day of competition. Friday, she took the silver medal finishing behind Derwael who brought home Belgium’s first medal in gymnastics at worlds. It was her last event giving her one more chance to get another medal after tying for second best score during the women’s all-around. Bile’s teammate would try to help keep her and the rest of the competition away from denying the 21 year old her chance to succeed.

She started the final going first feeling a little bit of pressure and proved it with several balance checks but avoided big deductions. A great combination was stuck followed by a combinational dismount where she had a big step. She got a 13.600 which wasn’t the best score to lead the competition with the door wide open for the other seven. Black put together a solid routine going second that somehow kept her behind the American with a 13.033.

Derwael went fourth putting together a very difficult balance beam routine that included a difficult mount followed by a number of combinations. She had one balance check during the routine before she finished things off with a great dismount. When it looked as if she would take the lead from Biles, the Belgian finished with a 13.466 just short of tying for first. Padurariu was the one to get well ahead in first scoring a 14.100 with the guarantee of winning a medal.

Kara Eaker wouldn’t help out the United States any further as she had trouble on her mount unable to hold her balance to fall off the apparatus. Her attempt to keep it together was troubling for her as she finished late earning a 12.833. The 2016 Olympic beam champion was second to last and had a fall off the beam killing her chance to secure a medal with her routine. The Dutch gymnast accepted a 12.666 clinching Biles a medal with one to go.

Liu kept herself well focused on the beam smoothly getting through her routine before putting down a great finish that was good enough to break onto the podium. She took the gold with a 14.533 that beat Padurariu by more than four tenths. The bronze for Biles gave her 21 medals tying her with Belrussian gymnasts Vitaly Scherbo with 21 medals in championship history.

Derwael wins Belgium first ever Gymnastics medal at World Championships

Belgium’s Nina Derwael made history at the 48^th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Friday night. The 18-year old put up a great routine during the uneven bars event final to finish with the gold at the Aspire Dome. It was the first time Belgium had a gymnast win a medal in the sport. American Simone Biles secured another medal winning silver and Germany’s Elisabeth Seitz holding the bronze.

Biles competes in what she considers as her favorite apparatus but would have some friendly competition as Morgan Hurd qualified for the event final as well. Rebecca Downie of Great Britain was the first to go up starting with a great routine before it all came apart. During a difficult combination, Downie stalled on the high bar before bailing off to walk and chalk up. She finished things with a great dismount but knew that it wouldn’t help compete for a medal.

The 17-year-old American went next and fired up the crowd with a very good routine that included a full pirouette before dismounting with a double tumble before landing where she took two steps after landing. Despite the small misstep, she got a 14.433 that set the pace for the six remaining competitors. Huan Luo took the lead with a 14.500 having a great release which saw her flip far from the high bar landing cleanly.

Seitz continued to change up the top of the leaderboard where her routine that had a 6.2 difficulty value earned her a spot in first with a 14.6. Derwael was back to show her skills on the apparatus after having the best score at the all-around Thursday. With a lot of skills in her combinational movements, the Belgian finished it with a terrific dismount to earn a 15.2.

Biles and Mustafina were left to go with the 21-year-old American going first. Biles had another tremendous routine and dismounted with a small hop that got her a 14.7 that put her in second place. Derwael would secure Belgium’s first gymnastics medal but would wait to see where the Russian would finish. Mustafina had no errors and a perfect dismount. With her difficulty not as high as the Belgian, she earned a 14.433 that would deny her a consecutive medal on her strongest event.

Biles captured her 21^st world championship medal in gymnastics surpassing Svetlana Khorkina to become the all-time winningest women’s gymnast. With two more event finals to go, the 21-year-old could come close to being the only gymnast to win the most world medals ever.