Golden finale for gymnasts Biles, Uchimura in Glasgow

Japan's Kohei Uchimura and US teen Simone Biles completed a golden week in Glasgow as they both claimed a tenth world gold on the final day of the world gymnastics championships on Sunday.

Biles, 18, defended her beam and floor titles to bring her tally to four gold in the Hydro Arena after helping the United States defend their team title and winning a record third straight all-around gold.

Uchimura, 28, won his first high bar title after claiming a sixth all-around title and guiding Japan to a first team gold since 1978.

Biles' four world titles brought her tally to ten as the tiny Texan become the most-titled woman gymnast in history.

She overtakes Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, Romania's Gina Gogean and former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who all won nine world gold medals.

"It's an amazing feeling and I don't think it has hit me yet. I can't even wrap my head around it," Biles said of her record.
"I still don't believe my ability to achieve such things. It's crazy."

She finished in style with an amazing gravity-defying acrobatic floor display including her signature "Biles" double layout with 1/2 turn to edge 0.700 ahead of Russia's Kseniia Afanseva with fellow American Margaret Nichols taking bronze.

Her powerful performance came after earlier somersaulting to gold on the beam off which she almost fell on her way to all-around gold, but made no mistake, landing solidly with a double somersault to win by a 1.025 margin on Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands.

"I knew it was my last floor routine of the year and I wanted to end with a bang," said Biles, who took to the floor shortly after winning on the beam.

She repeated her four gold from Nanning in 2014, and now has 14 world medals after taking bronze on the vault this week to set herself up as favourite in her first Olympics in Rio next yea
Khorkina remains the top woman for the most medals, having won 20 between 1994 and 2003, with Gogean taking 15 from 1993 to 1997 and Latynina 14 between 1954 and 1966.

"I am proud of myself and the team that I have," Biles added after putting the USA top of the medals podium with ten -- five in gold -- ahead of Japan who won five medals -- four in gold.

- Uchimura completes collection -

Olympic all-around champion Uchimura added the high bar crown to his all-around and team titles for ten titles -- three in Glasgow -- and 19 medals overall.

The 26-year-old trails Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo who has won 12 world titles and 23 medals.

Uchimura finally nailed the high bar title after finishing runner-up last year and with two bronze medals in 2011 and 2013.

He had fallen off the apparatus during the men's team final but held firm this time leading the way with 15.833 ahead of American Danell Leyva (15.700) and Cuba's Manrique Larduet (15.600) who added a bronze to his all-around silver.

"I think I am lucky to win this gold medal," said Uchimura.

"I thought today's performance was not enough for the gold because I had small mistakes and I was not satisfied.

"I think I will need a score over 16 to win at the (2016) Olympics."

He added: "I want to work hard and see the Japanese flag rising more than three times. But it is not going to be easy."

The Chinese men got their only gold on the final day -- finishing fourth on the medals table -- when You Hao won on parallel bars ahead of defending champion Oleg Verniaiev of the Ukraine with Deng Shudi of China and Oleg Stepko of Azerbaijan sharing bronze.

North Korea's Ri Se Gwang defended his vault title ahead of former world champion Marian Dragulescu of Romania with American Donnell Whittenburg taking bronze.

Source: AFP