Simone Biles Qualifies For Record-Breaking Sixth World Championships

Another vintage performance by Simone Biles at the Team USA selection event ensured that the 25-time medalist would compete at the World Championships in Antwerp later this month. Biles scored a 55.700 on the all-round, securing her Championship berth with a first-place finish once again. She just edged out Shilese Jones for the top score. However, Biles, ever the perfectionist, wasn't happy with her finish.

"I gave her a hug and I said you know, 'Congratulations' because, obviously, she locked her spot. She was kind of like [grimaces], I was like, 'Okay, I know it wasn't your best.' She's like, 'Yeah, I don't know what happened.' Like, 'Get it out here. And you know, it's it's gonna be okay, like we'll just turn turn the page," Team USA high performance technical lead Chellsie Memmel said.

Homecoming For Biles

"Back to where it all started, see you soon Belgium," Biles told her Instagram followers via a story post after qualifying. As alluded to by Biles, Antwerp will be something of a homecoming. A decade ago, she made her Worlds debut in the city. She cleaned up in her first-ever event, grabbing gold in the all-around and floor, silver in the vault, and bronze in the beam. Furthermore, qualification meant Biles became the first woman to be selected to represent the US at six World Championships.

Worlds also represents a chance for Biles to secure her place in Paris next year. Olympic places are available on all apparatus, as well as for the all-around champion. Furthermore, Biles is a firm favorite to qualify somewhere as she has shown that her time away has not left any rust on her performance. However, the world of gymnastics has only gotten better in recent years. This means that Biles will likely face some tough competition if she wants to take home the gold in Belgium. The World championships are set to take place between October 1 and October 8. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

[via]