The superstar Brazilian capitalised after Biles couldn’t control her first vault. Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat claimed floor title. Kaylia Nemour took first ever medal for Africa, while Rhys McClenaghan defended title ahead of USA’s Khoi Young.
Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won her second World vaulting title Saturday (7 October) at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, edging out USA star Simone Biles, who flew backward out of her first vault.
The 24-year-old Brazilian averaged a 14.750 for the gold with Biles at 14.549. Andrade is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion on the event, and took her first World title on the event in 2021.
It was Biles’ 28th medal at the World Championships and her 35th major career medal, the record.
Andrade was the final’s last competitor. Nearly sticking her Cheng (round off onto the board, front handspring, front layout one-and-a-half twist off) first vault for a massive 15.000. Needing better than 14.098 to take the gold, she boomed a double-twisting Yurchenko, earning a 14.500.
As the duo waited for the final score to flash, they sat side-by-side, chatting. When confirmation came on the Sportpaleis’ massive scoreboards, Andrade and Biles clasped hands before Andrade’s celebreation kicked into high gear running to coach Francisco Porath who was hold a Brazilian flag for his pupil.
“I’m really happy about this for Brazil, it’s another gold,” Andrade told Olympics.com afterward. “I don’t know if I expected it in my mind, of course, we always try to win, but the principal goal is to do my part.”
2020 Olympic bronze medallist Yeo Seo-jeong claimed her first World medal on the event in third (14.416). The medal is also a first for the Republic of Korea on the event at Worlds.
Biles went for her daring Yurchenko double pike as the final’s first competitor but had too much power to control and jumped to her back on the landing. The vault, now called the Biles II in the sport’s rule book, carries such a high difficulty score, 6.4, that she still earned a 14.433 for it.
