Biles Errs, but Bounces Back to Make History at Aspire Dome
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Ali Farag meets Simon Roser in Qatar Classic Squash final today PAGE 14 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 Qatar’s ace driver Attiyah romps into Kuwait WORLD GYMNASTICS PAGE 14 Rally lead with opening stage win ASPIRE DOME Biles errs, but bounces back to make history at Aspire Dome USA’s Simone Biles with Japan’s Mai Murakami and compatriot Morgan Hurd at the medals presentation ceremony of the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at the Aspire Dome on Thursday. US star wins 4th All-Around world title; Japan’s Murakami takes silver; Hurd claims bronze VINAY NAYUDU and tried to focus on the other on, went up next and essayed DOHA three events.” another thrilling show to get a Biles, who returned to the score of 14.000 and be on the UNCHARACTERISTIC and international stage after a year- top position. laden with a series of mistakes, and-a-half break following her Morgan then came close yet Simone Biles had enough four golds at Rio Olympics, to Murakami, but could fetch in her performances to emerge termed the on-going Worlds as only 13.866 which meant she on top in the women’s All- one of her toughest. “This one was now placed second. Around event of the 48th FIG has probably been the hard- It was time for Biles to bat- Artistic Gymnastics World est to get out of all my World tle the odds and against her- Championships Doha 2018 Championships and Olympic self. But the champion lived and become the first woman in medals, and the scariest one. up to her brilliant execution history to win four individual It’s exciting to bring back a gold and difficulty superiority to All-Around world titles at the medal for the US, but for me be awarded a whopping score Aspire Dome on Thursday. it’s a bit disappointing because of 15.000 which brought the This was Biles’ 12th world that’s not the performance I winning overall total and the title putting her equal on re- would hope to give.” much-awaited gold. cord of 20 world champion- It was happiness and dis- ship medals set by Russia’s RESULTS appointment alike for the oth- Svetlana Khorkina. er competitors too. The 21-year-old American, WOMEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL Belgian Nina, who by her despite a fall on the balance 1. Simone Biles (US) 57.491 pts own admission isn’t usually 2. Mai Murakami (JPN) 55.798 beam and a landing fall on 3. Morgan Hurd (US) 55.732 so good on the floor exercise, vault, ended with a winning 4. Nina Derwael (BEL) 55.699 but on this day she seemed total of 57.491 which pushed 5. Angelina Melnikova (RUS) 55.699 super. “Little bit of a mixed Japan’s Mai Murakami, who 6. de Jesus dos Sant (FRA) 55.599 feelings, but I'm happy about Simone Biles of the US in action during the floor exercise, the final apparatus of women’s All-Around competition of the 2018 FIG Artistic 7. Chen Yile (CHN) 54.632 finished 1.693 points behind 8. Saraiva Flavia (BRA) 54.366 my performance today. I did Gymnastics Championships at the Aspire Dome on Thursday. Biles totalled 57.491 to claim a record fourth World All-Around gold medal. (55.798), to silver. 9. Huan Luo (CHN) 54.332 come fourth and missed the The 2017 All-Around 10. Asuka Teramoto (JPN) 54.299 podium, but I'm really happy champion and Biles’ compatri- for the opportunity to behind ot Morgan Hurd (55.732) fin- three great gymnasts,” said ished 0.066 behind Murakami It was error-ridden and she smiling all along. Dalaloyan, Melnikova named most elegant athletes (55.798) to pick the bronze. electrifying at the same time Looking back the crucial The margin of victory, even as Biles, who began with the flip, Morgan said, “I was try- accounting for Biles’ first falls vault and moved to uneven ing to be a little too perfect”, in more than 60 career rou- bars and the beam before ar- while Murakami said, “I just tines in the Olympics or world riving to the floor exercise. It wanted to do a four-four (four championships, marked the seemed somewhat destined clean routines) and I did and it largest of her four All-Around too as equations changed. brought the silver medal. And I world titles. On the third of the four wanted to finish with a smile.” Commenting on her rotations on the beam, the But just like many were left achievement and the pitfalls, 17-year-old Morgan was the wondering, even Murakami Biles said, “I think I gave eve- last to go but in trying to be was taken aback with Biles’ ryone out there a heart attack, perfect she flipped a little and fall and rise show. “Instead but it is what it is. Even the best a score of 12.933 meant that of thinking I could win, I was fall sometimes, but I’m excited Biles still stayed in the lead. thinking ‘Oh, Biles can fall!’” that I pulled it out at the end. The finale came on the The contest went so close I was definitely shocked. Vault floor exercise and Belgium’s that was there was just 0.001 was very uncharacteristic, but Nina Derwael produced a points between fourth and fifth I haven’t been as confident beautiful routine which was places. The gymnasts, along at these World Champion- quite pleasing to the eye and with the men will be back in ships on beam as I have been received a huge applause re- action on Friday for the indi- in past competitions. So it’s turning a score of 13.300. That vidual apparatus finals. Russia’s Artur Dalaloyan, who won the men’s All-Around gold on Wednesday, and Angelina Melnikova, who finished 5th in the women’s a little scary going out there. pushed her to the first place. Biles would be in action in All-Around final on Thursday, were adjudged as the most elegant gymnasts of the 48th FIG Artististic Gymnastics World Championships Doha Vault shook me up a little bit, Murakami of Japan, the all the four women’s apparatus, 2018 at the Aspire Dome. The two were awarded Longines time pieces as their prize. but I tried not to get off-track 2017 floor individual champi- while the men will contest in six. DOHA WORLDS 2018: WOWING ’EM ALL Appropriate for gymnastics Worlds to have come to Qatar: Titov Qatar has big experience as hosts: Aljaz Pegan TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for deservedly so. TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK “I agree that the target score DOHA 20 years, from 1977 to 1996, “What I’ve seen along with the DOHA should be one point higher. Yet, Titov stressed that specific world championships coming to in the end it was special,” THE men’s All-Around competi- rules had been laid for such an the Arab world for the first time THE Athletes’ Representative said Pegan. tion at the 48th FIG Artistic eventuality as it happened in is that there has been a progres- at the Doha Worlds 2018, Aljaz On Doha seeing such close Gymnastics World Champion- the case of Russia’s Artur Dala- sion of the sport especially in Pegan from Slovenia, who also contests in the very first edition ships Doha 2018 on Wednes- loyan and China’s Xiao Ruoteng men’s gymnastics. Athletes from awarded medals to the men’s of a world championships in the day was so closely fought that (both of whom were tied at Turkey, Philippines, Brazil… you All-around final podium finishers Arab region, Pegan said, “Qatar the tie-break rule had to be 87.598 points). name it… have come up by leaps too felt that the intense contest are not first time hosts as such. applied to decide the winner. “The tie-break is in the rules and bounds,” he said. towards the end made it nerve- They have hosted so many It threw up a debate and which has been voted by the Welcoming the world champion- wracking. world cups of gymnastics series prompted former FIG president, Former FIG president Yuri Titov FIG congress and it says in ships to Qatar, he said, “It’s been “It was very close. Cannot be earlier. Yes, the world champi- and a former gymnast of repute and gymnast Yuri Titov. case of a tie, you have go back a wonderful organisation and more close than today. But it’s onships are a first, but they do himself, Yuri Titov to say, “It to the previous apparatus and many people among us have good that we have the rules have big experience and their would’ve been better to give two with the Soviet team, besides remove the least score one,” he come here to an Arabian country which made it so easy to de- Athletes’ Representative at Doha organisation is perfect.” gold medals!” an individual silver medal in hori- explained. for the first time. Even me! cide,” said Pegan. Gymnastics World Champion- On Slovenia’s show at the Titov laughed as he said that zontal bar, and bronze medals Titov said the competition “It’s good and appropriate that He, however, agreed that the shipss 2018 Aljaz Pegan. competition here, Pegan said, soon after presenting the med- in all-around and vault. He later among the men has been in- the world c’ships have come to target score if achieved should “We had one gymnast and he als at the prize-presentation won silver and bronze medals tense and close.