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Simone Biles ties record for most world gymnastics championship medals

Posted at 6:52 PM, Oct 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-12 18:52:04-04

Simone Biles continued stuffing her trophy case Saturday, winning a gold medal in the gymnastics world championships — a record-tying 23rd medal at the competition.

Biles has two more events Sunday — the floor exercise and the balance beam — and will likely pass Vitaly Scherbo, a Belarussian who competed in the 1990s, as the most decorated gymnast in world championship history.

Biles apparently wasn’t overwhelmed by Saturday’s amazing feat. Someone asked her what it felt like to back up the claim she is the greatest gymnast ever with a record-tying medal.

“I don’t know. What is it supposed to feel like? I don’t know,” she told reporters. “I don’t get time to think about these things. I think of my performances and then…”

She paused to think and said, “Dinner,” breaking into a smile and laughing.

Biles won the vault by more than half a point, averaging 15.399 for her two attempts. US gymnast Jade Carey won silver and Elissa Downie of Great Britain took bronze.

The world vault title is Biles’ second (2018). She also won gold in the event at the 2016 Olympics.

Biles also competed in the uneven bars Saturday, finishing fifth.