Simone Biles had an incredible performance tonight scoring a 60.216 to win the 2013 World All-Around Title. It was a great night for USA Gymnastics as the Americans took the top two spots on the podium as Olympic Champion Kyla Ross won the silver medal with a score of 59.332. This is the first World Championships for Biles and Ross. Ross was a member of the 2012 Olympic Team that won gold in London.

Aliya Mustafina of Russia won the bronze with a score of 58.856. This was a great showing for Mustafina  after her poor performance during the qualifications where she fell twice.



"It hasn't sunken in yet (that I am the World champion)," said Biles. "I am sure it will eventually, but we still have finals so we can't get too excited about it yet. But I know what I have done is a huge accomplishment and I am very happy.

"(During the event) Kyla and I just talked about our routines, and we are best friends, and we thought, 'Wow, this is Worlds!" I still can't believe it," said Biles.

Ross also was awarded the Longines Prize for Elegance, which is given to the most elegant gymnast as determined by a voting jury. Kohei Uchimura was the men's recipient.

"I think today was a really great competition, and I had a lot of fun out there, especially competing with Simone who is so much fun to have around," said Ross. "I had solid routines, and I was happy to end up strong on floor and to win the Longines Award for Elegance. It was such an honor, and to be on the stage with Kohei was amazing. It is really nice that people associate my gymnastics with elegance."

The U.S. took the top two all-around spots in 2005 when Chellsie Memmel and Nastia Liukin were the gold and silver medalists and in 2009 when Bridget Sloan and Rebecca Ross went one-two. Biles is the seventh U.S. woman to win the all-around title, joining Kim Zmeskal (1991), Shannon Miller (1993-94), Shawn Johnson (2007), Jordyn Wieber (2011), Sloan and Memmel.

In the first rotation, Ross delivered a clean double-twisting Yurchenko, earning a 15.366. Biles was next and her powerful Amanar, a two-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko vault, garnered a 15.850. On the uneven bars, Ross performed an in-bar stalder half pirouette to straddled Jaeger and dismounted with a double layout for a 15.100. Biles' bars routine included a piked Tkatchev to Pak salto and a stuck full twisting double back that scored 14.700. Biles and Ross were one-two after two rotations.

On the balance beam, Biles was up first in the rotation. Her routine that featured a front aerial to split jump, tumbled a flip flop to layout step-out and dismount with two back handsprings to a full-twisting double back earned a 14.433. Going last in the rotation, Ross was nearly perfect on the balance beam, moving effortlessly through a switch ring leap. She dismounted with a tucked double back and scored a 14.533 to move into the lead.

In the final rotation on floor, Ross competed just before Biles. Her precise and elegant floor exercise included tumbling an Arabian double front to stag leap and a double tuck dismount, posting a 14.333. The last athlete on the floor, Biles performed a tucked double, double mount and a double layout half out, called the Biles, to the delight of the crowd. She scored a 15.233 and clinched the all-around title.

Release via USAG

Women's All Around Final Results

			AA	VT	UB	BB	FX
1	BILES Simone	USA	60.216	15.850	14.700	14.433	15.233
2	ROSS Kyla	USA	59.332	15.366	15.100	14.533	14.333
3	MUSTAFINA Aliya	RUS	58.856	14.891	15.233	14.166	14.566
4	IORDACHE Larisa Andreea	ROU	57.766	15.033	14.200	13.833	14.700
5	YAO Jinnan	CHN	57.632	14.800	15.333	13.633	13.866
6	FERRARI Vanessa	ITA	56.732	14.400	13.700	14.166	14.466
7	STEINGRUBER Giulia	SUI	56.699	15.300	13.200	13.733	14.466
8	SHANG Chunsong	CHN	56.132	14.000	14.466	13.700	13.966
9	TERAMOTO Asuka	JPN	55.532	14.000	14.033	14.033	13.466
10	MOORS Victoria	CAN	55.466	14.733	13.800	12.300	14.633
11	FERLITO Carlotta	ITA	55.399	14.333	13.233	14.100	13.733
12	POPA NEDELCU Roxana	ESP	55.366	14.800	13.533	12.933	14.100
13	BLACK Elsabeth	CAN	54.965	14.533	12.866	14.133	13.433
14	MAKRA Noemi	HUN	54.766	13.700	13.633	13.900	13.533
15	SEITZ Elisabeth	GER	53.665	14.833	13.733	12.433	12.666
16	RODIONOVA Anna	RUS	53.298	14.141	13.758	12.066	13.333
17	HARROLD Ruby	GBR	53.199	13.900	14.533	11.066	13.700
18	MYS Gaelle	BEL	52.956	13.958	12.366	13.666	12.966
19	TUNNEY Rebecca	GBR	52.865	14.866	13.033	11.966	13.000
20	van KLAVEREN Noel	NED	51.965	14.966	10.633	12.733	13.633
21	WAEM Laura	BEL	51.932	13.800	13.533	12.233	12.366
22	KAESLIN Ilaria	SUI	51.566	13.800	13.100	12.433	12.233
23	SASADA Natsumi	JPN	51.065	13.966	10.366	13.500	13.233
24	MILLOUSI Vasiliki	GRE	49.532	13.166	10.500	12.800	13.066

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ALL AROUND FINAL PREVIEW


Simone Biles, USA

Simone Biles of Team USA, posted the top score in qualifications with a 60.133. Biles advanced to all around finals and earned her place in finals on every single event final, the first American to do so since Shannon Miller. Biles is the one to beat in finals.



Kyla Ross, USA

Kyla Ross does have lower difficulty than some of the other top contenders but near perfect execution. Despite earning questionably low execution scores while competing in the qualifications, finals are a clean slate and Ross is in the hunt for a gold medal.


Aliya Mustafina, Russia

Qualifications were rough for Aliya Mustafina of Russia who suffered falls on beam and floor exercise. Mustafina sat down her arabian double front on floor and her Mustafina vault. Olympic Champion on the uneven bars, Mustafina did hit a beautiful set to earn a 14.900, and a spot in the final. The finals are new life and you can never count out the 2010 World All-Around Champion.


Larisa Iordache, Romania

Larisa Iordache of Romania had a strong showing in qualifications finishing fourth.  She was the 2013 European Champion on Beam and finished second in the all around behind Mustafina. 


Yao Jinnan, China

Yao Jinnan won a bronze medal in the all-around at the 2011 World Championships.  Jinnan posted the third highest score in qualifications even with a fall on balance beam.  Jinnan has the highest start value in the competition on uneven bars.

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(c) Melissa J Perenson

UPDATE 9/28: The USA now plans to compete three all around gymnasts during the qualifications. Initally entered as a vault and floor specialist, McKayla Maroney will now be competing all around. Get the full story here. 

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WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS WORLD ALL AROUND EVENT HISTORY

Past Women's World All Around Champions:

2011 - Jordyn Wieber (USA)

2010 - Aliya Mustafina (RUS)

2009 - Bridget Sloan (USA)

Past Women's Olympic All Around Champions:
2012 - Gabby Douglas (USA)

2008 - Nastia Liukin (USA)

2004 - Carly Patterson (USA)

2000 - Simona Amanar (Romania)

1996 - Lilia Podkopayeva (Ukraine)

How to advance to All Around Finals

The top 24 gymnasts based on scores from qualifications will advance to the finals. However, only two gymnasts per country may advance.

The 2013 Contenders

The only two athletes who have broken 60 in the all around this year are USA's Kyla Ross and Simone Biles. They are the clear front runners for the title, along the always competitive Aliya Mustafina. 

Simone Biles, USA

Biles comes to Antwerp as the reigning U.S. All Around Champion and a favorite for Gold in her first Worlds. Biles competes the most difficult routines in the World and could potentially advance to event finals on every event. 

Kyla Ross, USA 

The youngest member of the Fierce Five looks ready to make a big impact in Antwerp. Ross has a lower difficulty score than many of the top contenders, so her key will be clean execution. She has really been focusing on artistry this year to give her an extra edge in front of international judges, and it shows. She has plenty of international experience and should be unfazed by pressure and expectation. 

Aliya Mustafina, Russia

You can never count out Mustafina. She's the 2010 World All Around Champion and was the most decorated female gymnast at the London Olympics, one year after tearing her ACL. Mustafina also has potential to final on every event and she will be a serious threat for all around gold. 

Larisa Iordache, Romania

A foot injury held Iordache back at the 2012 Olympics, but she looking on point this season. She was the 2013 European Champion on Beam and was the silver medalist in the all around behind Mustafina. 

Yao Jinnan, China

You likely remember Yao as the bronze medalist behind Jordyn Wieber and Viktoria Komova at the 2011 World Championships. Injuries really slowed her in 2012 and kept her out of the medals in London, but she is right back to top form. Yao made headlines recently by competing a Mo Salto (gaylord) on bars during Chinese Nationals and podium training in Antwerp. She currently holds the highest start value on bars, so hitting a clutch bar routine in all around finals will boost her chances of earning a medal.

Giulia Steingruber, Switzerland

Steingruber put on a show at the recent Swiss Championships, totaling an incredible 59.40 all around score. She appears to be having the best season of her life and could shock people in Antwerp. 

Roxana Popa, Spain

Popa is a Romanian born first year senior representing Spain. She finished 6th all around at the 2013 European Championships and won 2013 Spanish Nationals with a 58.083.

Vanessa Ferrari, Italy

2006 World All Around Champion Ferrari is still going strong at age twenty two. She finished 8th place in the 2012 Olympic All Around final and a heartbreaking fourth place on floor due to a tie break. Ferrari likely won't have the difficulty score to contend for a medal, but expect to see her fight for a place in the top ten.

Jessica Lopez, Venezuela

The 2-time Olympian recently competed at the Osijek World Cup and looked more confident than ever, winning floor and placing second on beam. At age 27 this is likely one of her last Worlds and she'll be looking for a top ten finish.