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PIX: Biles soars to third gold medal with vault win

Last updated on: August 04, 2024 00:08 IST

Simone Biles of the United States reacts after her performance in the Olympics Artistic Gymnastics women's Vault final at Bercy Arena, Paris, on Saturday.

IMAGE: Simone Biles of the United States reacts after her performance in the Olympics Artistic Gymnastics women's Vault final at Bercy Arena, Paris, on Saturday. Photograph: Hannah Mckay/Reuters

Simone Biles won the vault final on Saturday to clinch her third gold medal of the Paris Games, dominating the competition with her signature Biles II vault to beat Brazilian silver medallist Rebeca Andrade with American Jade Carey taking bronze.

Biles soared high into the air as she performed her explosive Yurchenko double pike for a massive score of 15.700.

 

The American also impressed with her second effort. She powered down the runway and launched into the Cheng vault, which incorporates a round-off, half-on entry with a one-and-a-half twisting flip to finish. She earned 14.900.

The 27-year-old claimed a comfortable victory at the Bercy Arena with an average of 15.300 points.

Simone Biles impressed with her second effort, powering powered down the runway and launching into the Cheng vault, which incorporates a round-off, half-on entry with a one-and-a-half twisting flip to finish.

IMAGE: Simone Biles impressed with her second effort, powering powered down the runway and launching into the Cheng vault, which incorporates a round-off, half-on entry with a one-and-a-half twisting flip to finish. Photograph: Hannah Mckay/Reuters

Biles arrived in Paris as the world's most decorated gymnast and she has reached new heights by claiming gold medals in all three women's events contested so far in Paris. She now has 10 Olympic medals overall, with seven of the being gold.

She led the US team to the top of the podium in the team final before claiming a second all-around Olympic title two days ago.

Biles can add to her tally further when she competes in the balance beam and women's floor finals on Monday.

Yulo gives Philippines historic gold win Floor exercise title

Carlos Edriel Yulo of the Philippines in action during the Men's Floor exercise final.

IMAGE: Carlos Edriel Yulo of the Philippines in action during the men's gymnastics Floor exercise final. Photograph: Hannah Mckay/Reuters

Carlos Edriel Yulo produced a spectacular performance to win the men's floor exercise final, earning Philippines their first-ever Olympic medal in gymnastics.

Yulo's gold medal is also only the second-ever top prize won by the Philippines across both the Summer and Winter Games, and the first in the men's category.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz struck gold in Tokyo three years ago.

"I don’t know what to say," the 24-year-old, who just missed the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Games, said. 

Ireland's McClenaghan wins men's Pommel Horse gold

Ireland's Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland in action during the men's Pommel Horse final.

IMAGE: Manu Bhaker’s campaign in the Paris Olympics ended with a fourth-place finish in the 25m Pistol competition on Saturday. Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters

It was all smiles, and a few happy tears, for Rhys McClenaghan as he struck gold on the pommel horse, earning Ireland their first ever Olympic gymnastics medal.

After the 25-year-old glided through his performance and nailed his dismount, the emotional whirlwind began.

"I knew that I'd done my job," he said of the moment he landed, scoring a 15.533.

"I knew I went through my most difficult routine that I could do on this day and that's where the tears and the emotions came from."

McClenaghan had held off what he described as the most talented Olympic Pommel Horse field in history, which included silver medallist Nariman Kurbanov of Kazakhstan and bronze finisher Stephen Nedoroscik of the United States.

Kurbanov, who earned Kazakhstan their first ever Olympic medal in gymnastics, was just one-tenth of a point behind McClenaghan and Nedoroscik finished 0.233 of a point from the victor.

Nedoroscik is taking home his second bronze of the Games after helping the US to a third-place finish in the team event.

"This has been my goal for so many years, so I'm just beyond honoured and excited," he said.

Briton Max Whitlock, the champion on the apparatus at the last two Olympics, was edged off the medal podium by one-tenth of a point, finishing fourth despite improving on his qualification score.

Whitlock was aiming to win a medal on the apparatus for the fourth successive Games having collected a bronze in 2012.

Source: REUTERS
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