World Gymnastics Championships: Biles wins 10th gold

Biles' four world titles brought her tally to a record 10 golds as the 4ft 9in teenager from Spring, Texas, continued her a meteoric rise after what was a difficult start in life. Meanwhile, Kohei Uchimura added the high bar crown to his all-around and team titles in the Hydro Arena to bring his tally to 10 titles and 19 medals

Published : Nov 02, 2015 14:28 IST , Glasgow

United States' Simone Biles was adopted by her grandparents as her mother struggled with drug addiction.
United States' Simone Biles was adopted by her grandparents as her mother struggled with drug addiction.
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United States' Simone Biles was adopted by her grandparents as her mother struggled with drug addiction.

Simone Biles confirmed herself as a favourite for victory at next year's Olympics as she became the first woman to win 10 world gymnastics championships gold medals on Sunday.

The 18-year-old American coolly added gold on the balance beam and the floor to the record third all-around and team titles she had already claimed at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow.

Biles' four world titles brought her tally to a record 10 golds as the 4ft 9in teenager from Spring, Texas, continued her a meteoric rise after what was a difficult start in life.

Biles was adopted by her grandparents at the age of three as her mother struggled with drug addiction, before bursting onto the scene at the 2013 worlds.

She now overtakes Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, Romania's Gina Gogean and legendary former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who all won nine world gold medals.

Biles, who also won vault bronze on Saturday, now has 14 world medals only surpassed by Khorkina's 20 between 1994 and 2003 and Gogean's 15 from 1993 to 1997. Biles is equal with Latynina, who won 14 between 1954 and 1966.

It was a performance that put the United States top of the medals table with five gold medals, ahead of Japan with four on the final day of competition.

King Kohei hits new heights with world treble

Kohei Uchimura raised the bar with less than a year to go to the Rio Olympics, bringing home a career-high three titles from the world gymnastics championships in Glasgow for 10 world golds in total.

The reigning Olympic all-around champion added the high bar crown to his all-around and team titles in the Hydro Arena to bring his tally to 10 titles and 19 medals over six world championships.

It was the most successful worlds for the 26-year-old from Fukuoka since he grabbed the first of his six world all-around titles in London in 1999.

Uchimura finally nailed the high bar with an acrobatic display involving spectacular swings and turns after finishing runner-up last year and third in 2011 and 2013.

Despite it being one of his best apparatus he had taken a tumble during the men's team final, but held firm Sunday leading the way 15.833 to finish 0.133 ahead of American Danell Leyva in the eight man final.

Cuban Manrique Larduet finished third to scoop his second medal after he won silver in the all-around.

“I thought today's performance was not enough for the gold medal because I had small mistakes and I was not satisfied,” said Uchimura.

“But it was good that I could be in this final, as I made a big mistake on high bar (in the team final), and I think I could show a better routine today. I am happy to see the Japanese flag rising again.”

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