Simone Biles clinches 30th World Championships gold medal by winning floor exercise event at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Simone Biles won her 30th World Championship medal at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships on Sunday (October 8). It was the legendary gymnast’s fourth gold medal on the world stage that she grabbed by competing in the floor exercise event in Antwerp, Belgium.
Simone Biles bagged back-to-back gold in the World Championships. After winning the balance beam event, she won her third individual gold medal in floor exercise with 14.633 points.
On the other hand, Brazilian competitors Rebeca Andrade won the silver medal with 14.500 points and Flavia Saraiva achieved the bronze medal with 13.966 points.
Biles was her best self while performing her floor routine. Biles’s impeccable layouts and tuck followed by bounds, small hops, and spot-on landings, perfectly synced with her music. The gymnast had the audience clapping for her throughout her performance.
Just before competing in the floor exercise, Biles had also proved her mettle in the balance beam event. The gymnast won the first event with 14.800 points, leaving behind China’s Yaqin Zhou in second place with 14.700 points and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade with 14.300 points in third place.
Previously, at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Biles got her team its seventh win in the women’s team event. She achieved her sixth title in the all-around event on Friday (October 6) and a silver medal in the vault event on Saturday (October 7).
With the conclusion of the World Championships, Simone Biles can now boast 30 world medals and a total of 39 medals by including her Olympics accolades.
Simone Biles shares her motive behind competing at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
After the completion of the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Simone Biles shared her motive for competing in this year’s world stage.
In 2020, Biles took a mental health break during the Tokyo Olympics. Years of competition pressure had taken a toll on her mental peace. She thus gave her mind a break.
However, she returned to gymnastics after two years in 2023. Although the gymnast had taken the big decision, she was unsure about her capabilities. Still, she took the leap of faith and showed up at the championship with a special motive.
Biles told the USA Today in a quick interview after Sunday’s event:
"I had to prove to myself that I could still get out here, twist, I could prove all the haters wrong, that I’m not a quitter, this, that, the other. As long as I’m out there twisting again, having and finding the joy for gymnastics again, who cares?" she said.