By Jessica Taylor Price
The women’s all-around competition was a heart attack in the form of a gymnastics meet. We saw Simone fall (yup, twice), and an extremely close battle for second and third. Overall, it made for a great competition, but it was also a health hazard.
Here’s what went down in the desert:
Feature Photo by Grace Chiu
Simone won with falls
Simone Biles had an unfortunate day, falling on “the Biles” on vault and her Barani on beam, but she finished strong on floor. She still won by over a point and a half (her largest margin of victory yet) and broke the record for most world all-around titles (#SimoneThings), but she couldn’t hide her disappointment.
.@Simone_Biles wins a record fourth world all-around title at #DohaGym2018. But she’s not all that happy about it…@gymnastics 👉https://t.co/2D8PV5u4uZ pic.twitter.com/qQaKbiLjOm
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) November 1, 2018
Derwael dazzled
Nina Derwael made a name for herself as the highest-placing Belgian gymnast ever in the all-around, coming in fourth with her action-packed bars routine.
This routine is to die for. Nina Derwael had a fabulous performance in the AA final but just missed out on a medal, placing 4th. #DohaGym2018 pic.twitter.com/cPULW2O0hW
— FloGymnastics (@FloGymnastics) November 1, 2018
Mai hugged her mama
Japan’s Mai Murakami came in second place, a record finish for her country. After the meet, she found Mama Murakami in the stands and gave her a hug, and then my allergies started acting up.
SHE CLIMBED OVER THE BARRIER AND YELLED MAMA HOW COULD YOUR HEART NOT BREAK OUT OF YOUR RIBS pic.twitter.com/Jz8uuRXvkJ
— fan fan (@yaostafina) November 1, 2018
Hurd took third
Morgan Hurd had an error on beam, but besides that it was a hit day—including this gorgeous bars routine—to take the bronze. She also gets props for taking time out of her busy competition schedule to touch-up her lipstick.
Give a women the right lipstick and she can conquer the world, right @morgihurd ?💄🇺🇸 #GoGymtastic #DohaGym2018 #gymnastics #worldchampionship #artisticgymnastics pic.twitter.com/JmRhyBmsej
— DohaGym2018 (@DohaGym2018) November 1, 2018
Melnikova hit four-for-four
Angelina Melnikova came in fifth after a hit competition, where she performed beautifully, especially on beam. She also won the Longines Prize for Elegance, and I think we can agree that it’s all due to the pep talk she gave to her ankle before the final.
Gelya to her ankle: ‘I believe in you, you’ll withstand it’ pic.twitter.com/vfPx0MSDF6
— Luba Baladzhaeva (@cherity1313) November 1, 2018
Rotation rhythms
A variety of rotation songs are all the rage in Doha, keeping gymnasts moving to the beat between apparatus. Maybe this will become a competition trend? Will gymnasts move from vault to bars in conga lines? Time will tell.
So there's a new rotation song… it's a remix on Beyonce's "Formation." Instead, it says, obviously, "now let's get in rotation." #DohaGym2018 pic.twitter.com/Lxv8lFTfAH
— Inside Gymnastics (@InsideGym) November 1, 2018
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