America’s Biles takes centre stage in Doha

All eyes were on Simone Biles as she trained at the Aspire Dome on the eve of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. The Olympic champion holds court wherever she goes and it was no different in Doha. At 21, Biles is already one of the greatest gymnasts ever to grace the sport, and by the time she winds up her career she could be perched alone at the top, at least in terms of the medals won.A quadruple gold medallist at Rio Olympics, Biles is already a three-time world all-around champion, three-time world floor champion, and two-time world balance beam champion. And if she adds another gold in Doha, she will become the first woman in history to win four world all-around titles.What adds more spice to the World Championships – the first ever to be held in the Middle East – is that Biles is making her return to international competition after taking a year off following her triumphant showing in Rio in 2016. There is an excitement in the air to see the Texan on stage with Biles set to nail a vault routine never been attempted at the big stage before. She gave a glimpse of what to expect in Doha, when she performed Cheng with an extra half twist at the USA Gymnastics’ selection camp earlier this month. Her closest challenge for the all-around title will come from compatriot Morgan Hurd, who claimed the crown in Montreal last year, in Biles’ absence.  “It’s really exciting to inspire the younger generation. I remember being so little and looking up to some of my heroes, and hopefully they’re looking up to me,” she said after Tuesday’s podium training at Aspire Dome. The lone apparatus that Biles has not conquered internationally is the uneven bars. Biles has made one uneven bars final at worlds — placing fourth in 2013 — and was 14th in Rio. And the American has set her eyes on that elusive medal.“I’ve never medalled in uneven bars final but I’ve only been in one,” Biles said last week when asked the event she would most like to win aside from the team competition. “Maybe if I could make a bar final, that would be pretty cool because I think of all the medals you can get and the finals you can participate in, I always admire the bar workers just because it’s so hard mentally and physically,” she added. Biles is the only member of the US women’s team of six who has competed at an Olympics or in a world championships team competition, but still they are the overwhelming favourite. If they do stand on top of the podium in Doha next week, the US will earn a sixth straight Olympic or world title — the longest female run of dominance in the sport since the 1970s Soviet teams.“We have a lot of rookies in our team and a couple veterans, but the veterans are excited to shine some light on the rookies and lead them through the Worlds,” Biles said. “I’m really excited. I think our team as a whole will shine a lot of light at this competition and hopefully we’ll bring back some medals. It will be good. We’ll make memories,” she added.More than 500 gymnasts from 76 nations will converge at the Aspire Dome, with three medal-winning nations in the Team finals for both men and women earning team berths directly to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The line-up in Doha includes 22 world and Olympic gold medallists from 13 nations.The competition will determine the winners of eight sets of medals for men – team, all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar. There will be six for women – team, all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor.The Japanese men and American women are the reigning Olympic champions from Rio and defending world champions from the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. The team competition is not held at the world championships in post-Olympic years. Men’s qualifying starts today, while the women’s qualifiers is on Saturday. The finals start from next Tuesday.