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Simone Biles wins record 21st career medal at gymnastics worlds, leading U.S. women to team title

Simone Biles won a record 21st medal at the world gymnastics championships on Tuesday, breaking a tie with the Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, as the United States retained its women's team all-around title. Canada finished seventh.

American star's 15th gold pushes her past total of Russia's Svetlana Khorkina

The Associated Press ·
Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during Tuesday's women's team final at the gymnastics world championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She led the United States to the all-around title and now boasts a record 21 medals at the event. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Simone Biles won a record 21st medal at the world gymnastics championships on Tuesday as the United States retained its women's team all-around title.

Biles' 15th career gold medal achieved in Stuttgart, Germany, brings her a total of 21 medals, breaking a tie with the Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina for the most medals by a woman at the world championships. She's now two short of Vitaly Scherbo's all-time record among men or women of 23.

"Every year it feels better and better just because we're adding to the legacy," Biles said. "I feel like I never think of records. I just go out there and do what I came to do, which is compete for the country."

Biles posted the best individual scores on the vault, balance beam and floor.

WATCH | Simone Biles rules floor routine in team event:

Simone Biles leads American women to team title at worlds

5 years ago
Duration 3:56
Simone Biles seals the victory for the United States with an outstanding floor routine.
The U.S. team scored 172.330 points to beat second-placed Russia by 5.801 points and win its seventh consecutive team title at an Olympics or world championships.

Canada finishes 7th

Italy ended its 69-year wait for a women's team medal with bronze, scoring164.796 points while fourth-place China failed to make the podium for the first time since the 2003 worlds.

Canada collected 160.563 points for seventh place, falling short of its 162.922 qualifying score after two unfortunate falls on beam in the first rotation and another on the uneven bars

The team is comprised of Ellie Black (Halifax), Brooklyn Moors (Cambridge, Ont.), Shallon Olsen (Surrey, B.C.), Ana Padurariu (Whitby, Ont.) and Victoria Woo (Brossard, Que.).

WATCH | Ellie Black's dazzling floor routine at worlds:

Ellie Black's impressive floor routine at worlds

5 years ago
Duration 2:08
Ellie Black helps the Canadian women's gymnastics team place 7th at worlds
"I'm really proud of our team," Black who competed on all four apparatus Tuesday, told Gymnastics Canada. "We started off with a little bit of a rough event on beam, but we were able to come back and have some strong performances after that, and we finished off on a high note on bars.

"It was great just to get out there and have another opportunity in a team final on this amazing arena floor."

Black and Moors were the lone Canadian women to compete on all four apparatus, while Padurariu focused on the beam and bars. Olsen did a floor routine and vault, and Woo competed on bars, admitting it was a bit stressful.

WATCH | Shallon Olsen's vault launches her to 1st place:

Shallon Olsen lands amazing vault at worlds

5 years ago
Duration 0:46
Shallon Olsen score 14.700 for Canada during the team competition at gymnastics worlds.

"I feel like it's more stressful only doing one event in a team final," she said, "because you really don't want to mess up your one event."
 
Canada is entered in the women's all-around final on Thursday, featuring Black and Moors. On Saturday, Olsen will attempt to return to the podium in the vault final.

Competition wraps up Sunday with Black and Padurariu in the beam finals in which the latter is seeking a podium repeat.

With files from CBC Sports

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