With Simone Biles as the shining center, the United States wins the World National Team Gymnastics Championship

During the Nations Cup at the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, it is impossible to keep an eye on everything. There are always two or more gymnasts performing on different equipment. But at the end of the match, Simone Biles has the kingdom to herself. In the middle of the field, on the floor, the returning star is the last to take any action. The audience has eyes only for her.

It’s the same hall where she won her first world title in 2013. There was no team competition at the time, but now it could be the young American’s first gold medal at this tournament. She knows what she has to do, delivers a tight workout that has the audience clapping along with the music, and finishes it off energetically. The Sports Palace booms with cheers and Biles laughs.

She scored 15.166, the highest score of the evening. By a wide margin, the American team won the world team gold for the seventh time in a row with 167,729 points, ahead of Brazil (165,530) and France (164,064). It is Biles’ 20th world championship gold medal in an already uniquely successful career. Her career seemed to have ended two years ago in Tokyo when she withdrew during the team final due to “sprains,” a type of gymnastics obstruction. But the 26-year-old is back, and how.

He will survive

After Biles’ narrow landing, Naomi Visser, Ithura Thorsdottir, Vera van Poel, Shanna Fairman and Sanne Wevers clap a little further away. They like a lot of width and especially a lot of power.

‘Really amazing. “Just respect for her,” said Torsdottir, who then set the record as the best for a Dutch player on the 13,300 floor. She herself is an expressive and graceful gymnast. More ballet and less power than Biles. “It’s a completely different style than what I do.” But I can enjoy strong gymnastics like her.

The Dutchman ranked seventh with 159.563 points. That was lower than in the preliminary round when they achieved a total of 161.197 and qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris. They did not score this high in the final. On Wednesday evening, Wevers’ fall while cartwheeling onto the crossbar and Visser’s unfortunate landing on the floor cost him two points anyway.

“I felt it,” Visser admitted afterward. She landed with her forehead on the ground, instead of on her feet. “I’m disappointed by it, but fortunately I didn’t suffer anything from it.” On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Visser will compete at the world championships in the all-around, on bars and floor.

Overall, the women looked at the country final with satisfaction. After all, the Dutch are often not among them. The last time, in 2019, the team finished eighth and last in the final battle. Thorsdottir: We fought. It’s great to be in the team final. We knew that a podium finish was not possible for us among these good countries. It’s always hit or break. I’m proud of the way we did it.