Simone Biles wins record 16th world gymnastics title

Simone Biles finished 2.1 points above second-placed Tang Xijing of China, the highest margin of victory in the women's gymnastics in the last 40 years.

Simone Biles (Centre) is just two World Championship medals away from becoming the most successful gymnasts in the history.

Needing a score just over 12 points in her final floor exercise routine to successfully defend her all-around gold medal, Simone Biles went out of bounds twice and suffered a massive 0.4 penalty. Yet the four-time Olympic champion finished first on the apparatus with a score of 14.4 and clinched a record fifth World Artistic Gymnastics Championships gold medal with a combined total of 58.999 in Stuttgart.

China's Tang Xijing, who won the silver, finished with a score of 56.899 while Russia's Angelina Melnikova took the bronze with a total of 56.399.

With the victory, Biles equalled her record points difference of 2.1 at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which is the highest margin of victory in women's gymnastics in the past ten Olympics.

Biles executed a near-perfect 'Cheng' vault to score a whopping 15.233. The 22-year-old held back on her signature double-double dismount on the balance beam and still finished with the top score in the event with a score of 14.633. Biles stood third in the uneven bars event with a score of 14.733.

It was also Biles 22nd World Championship medal off which 16 are gold. She has also qualified for the finals of all the four individual medal events and two more medals wins will make her the most successful gymnast of all time.