Simone Biles: Breaking Records yet Again as She Aims for Her 21st World Championships Gold Medal

Simone Biles, who has already made history at this year's World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, now has another opportunity to create new milestones on Friday. She will be competing in the women's individual all-around final, aiming to secure her 21st world championship gold medal.

Simone Biles, representing the United States, showcases her impressive skills in the floor exercise at the 2016 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships held at Xfinity Arena in Everett, Washington on April 9, 2016. Standing out among the competitors, Biles secures victory in the all-around competition, solidifying her dominance in the sport. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Even if she fails to secure the first position, achieving a podium finish will enable Biles to surpass Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo in terms of the highest number of overall gymnastic medals acquired across the Olympics and the world championships. Currently, both Biles and Scherbo hold the record with 33 medals each.

How to watch

The world championships began on September 30 and will run until October 8.

Qualifying competitions took place on the opening day through to Monday, with the first medals awarded the following day.

Biles is set to compete in the individual all-around final for the women on Friday, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. The event will be aired on NBC in the US, and the BBC will broadcast the finals in the UK.

Spectacular return

The 26-year-old has already been successful at this years world championships in Antwerp, Belgium.

She made history on the first day of the competition by securing the top spot in the women's all-around qualification, becoming the first female athlete to successfully execute the Yurchenko double pike vault. This skill, known for its complexity and traditionally performed exclusively by male gymnasts, had never been accomplished by a woman in an international event.

Continuing her remarkable performance, Biles astounded the audience on Wednesday with her exceptional floor routine, contributing to the United States' triumphant seventh consecutive gold medal in the women's team final.

Biles won her latest world title a decade after securing her first victory at the identical venue in 2013. She is now the most accomplished gymnast in American history, with a total of 26 world championship medals to her name, including 20 gold, three silver, and three bronze.

Biles expressed to Heath Thorpe of Gymnastics Now that every time she becomes world champion, it brings forth a unique sense of fulfillment. Despite her astonishment and disbelief at her ongoing success, being 26 years old now makes each victory just as gratifying as her initial triumph.

Biles is returning to the world stage for the first time since Tokyo 2020.

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These world championships will be Biles' first return to the world stage since the Tokyo 2020 Games. During that event, she withdrew from various competitions due to experiencing the "twisties," a psychological obstacle that causes a gymnast to lose spatial awareness while airborne.

Biles' return has been truly remarkable. By participating in Antwerp, she made history as the first woman to represent the US at six artistic world gymnastics championships. Dominique Dawes, a former US gymnast, described Biles' achievements in Belgium as nothing short of spectacular.

"What she is doing, I am utterly amazed by. My children are enormous admirers of Simone Biles, and what I appreciate is her sheer enjoyment of this journey," Dawes expressed.

"She radiates a bright smile throughout. She is an extraordinary teammate and her influence will be felt for a long time."

The gymnastics legend stands a greater chance of success following the all-around final on Friday. On Saturday, she is slated to participate in the women's vault and uneven bars finals, followed by the balance beam and floor exercise finals on Sunday.