NBA | Page 5 FOOTBALL | Page 7 Resurgent Rose Chelsea, turns back Arsenal, Spurs clock to score reach League 50 against Jazz Cup quarters Friday, November 2, 2018 CRICKET Safar 24, 1440 AH Jadeja spins India GULF TIMES to series-clinching win over Windies SPORT Page 3 48TH ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DOHA 2018 Biles falls, rises, rules American wins record fourth All-around Worlds title despite ‘uncharacteristic’ performance By Sahan Bidappa margin of victory – 1.693 – is the Doha largest at the Worlds since the current points system replaced perfect-10 method in 2006. Only here is a long-running her victory at the Rio Olympic joke about how Simone Games, by 2.1 points, is bigger. Biles would win even Biles had won four gold and a if she falls two or three bronze in Rio and came to Doha Ttimes. The American turned that as a ten-time world champion, joke into a reality at the Aspire and the American conceded Winner Simone Biles (centre) of the US, silver medallist Mai Muraka- Dome yesterday. yesterday’s triumph was her mi (left) of Japan and bronze medallist Morgan Hurd of the US pose Biles had an off day by her toughest till date. “This one has during the medals ceremony for the women’s All-around event at the enormous standards at the World probably been the hardest to get world championships yesterday. Artistic Gymnastics Cham- out of all my world champion- pionships, as she fell twice on ships and Olympic medals, and Vault and Balance Beam, yet the the scariest one. It’s exciting to 21-year-old was good enough to bring back a gold medal for the clinch a record-breaking fourth US, but for me it’s a bit disap- All-around Worlds title. pointing because that’s not the performance I would hope to give,” she said. “It was a tough day. I didn’t know if I was going to pull it off today, and then I started doubt- ing myself and I tried to track back to training and see how well that went. I tried to just think of that. You should always fall back on training because I’ve had such a good training here,” she added. Biles has already added two more gold medals in Doha – the Russian gymnasts Artur Dalaloyan (second from left) and Angelina team and All-around – and she is Melnikova (second from right) were presented with the Longines Prize in contention for four more in the for Elegance awards yesterday. individual apparatus today and tomorrow. She is the hot favour- ing I could win, I was thinking to perform better during their ite to win in three of them, with ‘Oh, Biles can fall.’” routines. “I think we play off Uneven Bars not being her best The Japanese fi nished .066 each other’s energies and keep routine. ahead of last year’s champion each other having fun. It’s abso- Biles currently has 12 Worlds Simone Biles of the US goes through her routine during the women’s All-around final during the 48th Artis- Hurd. “I just wanted to do four lutely insane that she fell twice. gold, tied with Vitaly Scherbo tic Gymnastics World Championships Doha 2018 at Aspire Dome yesterday. PICTURES: Thajudheen clean routines and I did and it It defi nitely pushes me to be such and she is certain to pull away brought the silver medal. And I a better gymnast, and if I can’t from the retired Belarusian to- terday with a Vault, that has been While Belgium’s Derwael was diffi culty level of her routine was wanted to fi nish with a smile,” reach her in diffi culty, I defi nitely day, making her the most deco- named after her, but she goofed unlucky to miss out on a medal so high that the judges awarded Murakami said. want to catch her with my execu- rated gymnast. She could also up her with landing, as Hurd despite a good Floor Exercise, her 15.000 points, sealing a re- Hurd paid the price for a poor tion,” Hurd said. become the fi rst woman to earn took the early lead. Because of Murakami jumped into the lead markable victory. show in Beam and slipped down Later, Biles was her harsh- six medals at a world champion- the Vault’s diffi culty, Biles scored with a score of 13.666. With On her fl awless fl oor routine, to fourth before a confi dent fi n- WOMEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL est critic as she admonished her ships since Yelena Shushunova a 14.533, which left her in third all eyes at Aspire Dome on her, Biles said: “I was like, ‘Well, to- ish on Floor Exercise fetched her (TOP 8) performance, calling it “little did for Soviet Union in 1987. place. and not to mention about the day seems to be horrible, so let’s a bronze. “Vault, Bars and Floor 1. Simone Biles (USA) 57.491 disappointing and very unchar- The kidney stone that had Biles, however, vaulted into pressure, Biles seemed to have see what else can go wrong.’ Then went really well. I’m not com- points acteristic”. But in the annals of troubled Biles last week and the lead, after a clinical display crumbled when she began her I had to get those bad thoughts pletely happy with beam. I had 2. Mai Murakami (JPN) 55.798 gymnastics, Biles is well on her forced her to check into a hospital in Uneven Bars, where she scored Floor Exercise with one foot out out of my head.’ I’m used to end- kind of a large mistake. I’m not 3. Morgan Hurd (USA) 55.732 way to become the greatest ever. seemed to have an impact on her 14.725. But a fall on the Balance of bounds on her fi rst tumbling ing on fl oor, so that’s nothing satisfi ed, and I would rather it 4. Nina Derwael (BEL) 55.699 The 21-year-old fi nished with yesterday. Or it was just the pres- Beam, when a somersault went pass. new to me. I had to go out there have been little better, but that’s 5. Angelina Melnikova (RUS) a score of 57.491, ahead of Japan’s sure of being on the verge of cre- wrong, and some impressive But in the rest of the routine and put on a good performance OK. It happened. I was trying to 55.698 Mai Murakami and teammate ating a history. Either way, Biles performances by Murakami and she bounced back in spectacular for myself.” be a little too perfect,” she said. 6. Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos Morgan Hurd, who was last year’s was jittery to begin with. Nina Derwael, cut down her lead fashion, nailing her every move Silver medallist Murakami Hurd shares a good camara- (FRA) 55.599 champion in Biles’ absence. The 4 feet 8 inch from Texas to mere 0.092 going into the fi nal as the spectators gasped in awe summed up the fi nal perfectly, derie with Biles, with the two 7. Chen Yile (CHN) 54.632 Even with the mistakes, Biles’ began her All-round fi nal yes- rotation. at Biles’ agility and strength. The when she said: “Instead of think- constantly egging on each other 8. Flavia Saraiva (BRA) 54.366 FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Qatar’s al-Attiyah storms to Kuwait rally lead By Our Correspondent onship and I will not stop until it is no This year’s event is being organised thieu Baumel (FRA) Ford Fiesta R5 2min Arifjan, Kuwait longer possible. I will not let Nasser go by the Basil Salem Al-Sabah Motor 00.0sec to sleep…!” Racing Club (BMRC) under the chair- 2. Vojtech Stajf (CZE)/Ladislav Kucera Ten drivers were permitted to start manship of Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber (CZE) Skoda Fabia R5 2min 04.1sec atar’s Nasser Saleh al-Atti- the FIA event and another three Ku- al-Ahmad al-Sabah and in conjunction 3. Meshari al-Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser al- yah cruised into a comfort- waiti crews took part in a National with the General Authority for Sport Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X able lead through the opening Rally over the same route. Local driver and the Kuwait International Automo- 2min 08.4sec 2.3km super special stage of Meshari al-Thefi ri headed the MERC 2 bile Club (KIAC). 4. Khaled Juma (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Qthe Kuwait International Rally at Ku- contingent with the third quickest time Two runs through three gravel spe- Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2min 08.8sec wait Motor Town yesterday afternoon. of 2min 08.4sec to take a category lead cial stages are on the agenda for to- 5. Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah (QAT)/Nicola The Ford Fiesta R5 driver carded a of four-tenths of a second over Jorda- day. Teams open their account in the Arena (ITA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X time of exactly two minutes with the nian driver Khaled Juma into the night southern deserts with a run through 2min 13.2sec backdrop of a setting sun to move into halt. the brand new KMT stage that spans 6. Rashed al-Nuami (QAT)/Hugo a 4.1 second lead over Czech driver Former Qatar Motor and Motorcy- 15.10km and gets the action underway Magalhaes (POR) Subaru Impreza 2min Vojtech Stajf at the start of the fourth cling Federation (QMMF) president at 10.00hrs. 13.4sec round of the FIA Middle East Rally and FIA vice-president Nasser Khalifa The 18.22km of Nuwaiseeb (10.48hrs) 7.