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Belgium’s Nina wins on uneven bars; Ruoteng best on pommel horse; Dalaloyan takes floor exercise gold; Greek Petrounia emerges best on still rings

Vinay Nayudu
Doha
The sensational Simone Biles just doesn't seem to stop. Even as she feels that she hasn't been at her best at the Doha Worlds 2018, she continues her fabulous show.
On Friday at a packed Aspire Dome, the dazzling gymnast delivered another perfect vault routine in the individual competition to become the first ever gymnast to win 13 world championship gold medals.
The number 13 meant that Biles broke the all-time record set by Belarusian male gymnast Vitaly Scherbo in 1996.
It was also Biles' third gold medal at the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha 2018, but she was denied a clean sweep by Belgium's Nina Derwael in the uneven bars competition, which is Biles weakest of all four women's apparatus.
Even then, the silver was enough for Biles to script another record that of becoming the first American gymnast to win medals on all pieces of apparatus at major competitions.
Friday's two medals also means that she now has 18 world championship medals overall, just two shy of the all-time record of 20, held by Russia's Svetlana Khorkina.
Thus far, Biles has three golds and one silver after four events in Doha with Saturday's balance beam and floor finals to come. Two more medals would make her the first woman to win six medals at a worlds since Yelena Shushunova of the Soviet Union in 1987.
Given the best of Biles' record-breaking binge, it was fitting that legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania, now a US resident, was among the distinguished audience to watch the feat.
Performing on the vault in a red and white costume, Biles achieved a mark of 15.366, well ahead of second-placed Shallon Olsen from Canada, who finished on 14.516.
Bronze went to Mexico's Alexa Moreno, with 43-year-old Oksana Chusovitina in fourth.
Soon expectations of a repeat on the uneven bars grew, but Biles couldn't match Derwael's robust and high-risk routine of 15.200. Biles managed 14.700, while Germany's Elisabeth Seitz won bronze with 14.600.
Setting her own piece of history, Derwael's gold was the first by a Belgian at a world championships.
"I really wanted to redeem myself here, and I think I did that tonight," said Biles with her eyes sparkling. Looking ahead, she said,"I have one more day of competition tomorrow. But I don't want to think much about that now."
About silver on the uneven bars, she said,"That's the first time in a while that I've felt really comfortable.
"Second bars final, first bars medal, so I'm very proud of myself, and I'm so thankful to have (coach) Laurent (Landi) and Cecile (Canqueteau-Landi) by my side."
In the men's competition, the most nail-biting finish came in the pommel horse where China's Xiao Ruoteng took gold despite scoring the same, 15.1665, as second-placed Max Whitlock from Great Britain.
Ruoteng won despite having a less difficult routine, by scoring higher with judges on the execution marks.
There was also a thriller in the rings event, and possibly the bravest performance of the day by Greece's Eleftherios Petrounias.
Due to go into hospital next week for surgery on his left shoulder, the defending champion narrowly edged out long-time rival, Brazil's Arthur Zanetti by 0.266, to set off delirious scenes inside Doha's Aspire Dome.
Italian Marco Lodadio took bronze in his first ever world final.
Earlier, all-around gold medal winner Artur Dalaloyan won again, this time on the men's floor exercise. (Inputs AFP)
Results
Men’s Floor Exercise
Gold: Artur Dalaloyan (RUS) 14.9
Silver: Kenzo Shirai (JPN) 14.866
Bronze: Carlos Yulo (PHI) 14.6
Women’s Vault
Gold: Simone Biles (USA) 15.366
Silver: Shallon Olsen (CAN) 14.516
Bronze: Alexa Moreno (MEX) 14.508
4. Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 14.3
Men’s Pommel Horse
Gold: Xiao Ruoteng (CHN) 15.166
Silver: Max Whitlock (GBR) 15.166
Bronze: Lee Chih Kai (TPE) 14.966
Women’s Uneven Bars
Gold: Nina Derwael (BEL) 15.2
Silver: Simone Biles (USA) 14.7
Bronze: Elisabeth Seitz (GER) 14.6
Men’s Still Rings
Gold: Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE)15.366
Silver: Arthur Zanetti (BRA) 15.1
Bronze: Marco Lodadio (ITA) 14.9
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03/11/2018
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