10 Thrilling Moments of the 2014 World Championships

Oct 13, 2014 by Kati Breazeal

With the conclusion of the 2014 World Championships, it's time to take a walk down memory lane, reminiscing on our favorite moments from the competition.

1. Ri Se Gwang sacrifices his ankles to win a gold. After nailing an amazing Dragalescu, Gwang went for his second vault during event finals, ensuing a dramatic finish to follow. The North Korean gymnast performed a magnificent Tsuk full-in, but took a large step to the side where he seemed to injure his ankles. He hopped to the edge of the podium, where his coaches lifted him up, and carried him the remainder of the way to their country’s area. As he lay on the floor in agony, with medical professionals examining his injuries, his score was announced and the crowd erupted with enthusiasm and support as Gwang was crowned the 2014 vault champion.

Video By GutsuFan

2. Simone Biles tumbles to victory. Entering into the last event of the women’s all-around competition, Simone Biles knew she needed to hit in order to grasp the gold, and excitingly, she did just that. Biles scored a 15.333 on the stunning set, and finished with a total score of 60.231- securing her second consecutive World Championship All-Around medal.

3. Aliya Mustafina’s reaction to her third place finish on floor. Women’s event finals were coming to an end, and Mustafina was the final performer on floor. The Russian gymnast held nothing back and hit a beautiful set to conclude her world competition. Witnessing her reaction to earning a bronze medal on the event made it obvious that Mustafina never imagined she would place. As her score was announced, Aliya had one of the most excited, most sincere reactions I have ever seen in any gymnast. She gave into emotion and revealed the thrill she felt for the prestigious honor.

4. The USA women clench a team gold. The American women finished their team final with a massive total score of 179.280, winning their first ever, back-to-back World Championship team title. The US came in nearly seven points above the runner up, China, and close to eight points above bronze medal winner, Russia.

5. Kohei Uchimura wins his fifth consecutive World All-Around title. Japan’s Uchimura is undoubtedly crowned as the King of men’s artistic gymnastics. He was the favorite heading into finals, and after a nearly perfect performance, the King claimed his fifth consecutive World Championship All-Around title.

6. Biles vs. The Bee. After securing her second consecutive all-around title, Simone Biles prepared for a traditional award ceremony and stood proudly on the World podium representing the USA. A rogue bee appeared from her flower bouquet, bombarding Biles and teammate Kyla Ross, causing chaos and screams on the all-around podiums.

7. Yao Jinnan claims the Uneven Bars title. Despite having uncharacteristic mistakes in qualifications, Jinnan stepped up and hit a beautiful bar routine that surpassed her competition. Her releases, incredible pirouetting ability, and a stuck double layout dismount capped off her gold medal routine, causing her home crowd to erupt in unbridled excitement.

8. Kyla Ross wins a bronze in the all-around competition. Due to suffering an upper leg injury, Ross was not one of the favorites picked to medal in the women’s all-around competition, however, Ross’s determination and strong will should never be underestimated. After finishing the meet with a 58.232, Ross clenched the 3rd place title for the US team.

9. Mykayla Skinner stuns in floor event finals. Despite placing fourth on the event, Skinner displayed incredible tumbling that left myself, and the world, in awe. If opening the set with a sensational layout double double wasn’t enough, she continued with a tucked double double, full in, and a 1.5 step out to 2.5. Before the Championships, many were skeptical about Skinner’s ability to keep up with the rest of the competition, but her obvious improvements in her leaps, dance, and execution, quieted her nay-sayers.

10. Epke Zonderland’s daring high bar routine. Zonderland is known for his incredible ability on this event, and he didn’t disappoint in event finals. His Cassina, Kovacs, Kolman and Gaylord were remarkable, earning him not only the gold medal for the set, but the highest score of the competition, 16.225.