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Simone Biles sets record for most world gymnastics championship medals, wins 5 gold medals this week

Posted at 4:45 PM, Oct 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-13 16:45:34-04

STUTTGART, GERMANY – OCTOBER 13: Simone Biles of USA competes on Balance Beam during the Apparatus Finals on Day 10 of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in the world championships’ history on Sunday with a gold medal on the balance beam in Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday.

The US gymnast won her 25th career world medal at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, surpassing Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s career total of 23.

A four-time Olympic champion, Biles now holds 19 golds. Scherbo, a Belarussian who competed in the 1990s, had been the most decorated gymnast in world championship history.

On Saturday, 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.

USA’s Simone Biles poses after the apparatus finals with the five gold medals she won at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

The 22-year-old says she’s preparing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — which she has said will be her last Olympics.