Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2019 | Day 5 as it happened

Welcome to the Olympic Channel's blog coverage of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany, bringing you all the latest news, videos, and updates.

Simone Biles became the most-decorated female gymnast in Worlds history today as she won her 21st World Championships medal — a gold — in the women's team final with Team USA.

While you're here, you may want to check out yesterday's blog.

You can watch the Championships on Olympic Channel, subject to territorial restrictions. Click the link below to find out if there is coverage in your area.

Don't worry if there isn't, just scroll down for all the text commentary.

All times below are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2 hours). Most recent updates first.

6:55 pm – Another record-setting day for Biles

Is there anything Simone Biles can't do?

It's now 21 World medals – 15 of them gold – for the 22-year-old.

Tomorrow, it's the turn of the men's teams.

We leave you with a photo of hosts Germany – who have qualified both men's and women's teams to Tokyo 2020 – posing with the big #Stuttgart2019 sign.

6:40 pm – Giorgia Villa happy with "emotional" bronze

Italy took home their first World Championships women's team medal since 1950.

Giorgia Villa, the 2018 Youth Olympic Games all-around champion, was a key part of their team today.

She told the Olympic Channel: "It was really emotional making the top eight teams. We came into the competition with courage to do better than in qualifying.

"We finally managed to bring home an excellent result."

She added: "Frankly, we weren’t expecting this result, but Enrico [Casella, Italian coach] told us that we could manage to bring home a medal. At the end of the third rotation, we realised that we would be able to win the bronze and we managed to do it."

6:35 pm – Biles says she still feels the pressure

6:24 pm – Biles on record: "It's kind of exhilarating"

Asked about winning her record-breaking 21st Worlds medal, Simone Biles said:

"I guess it’s kinda crazy. I didn’t really think about it.

"I think that’s really impressive for someone to do that and I guess… since it’s me. I don’t know… I don’t know, it’s kind of exhilarating.

"I feel like I haven’t gotten the chance to process it yet. But I think we’ll do some celebrating tonight, for all of it. For the team, for the medal count, for the fifth year in a row."

5:29 pm – In pictures: All of Simone Biles' world medals

Twenty-one. Yes, 21 medals at World Championships for Simone Biles.

Re-live them all here.

5:20 pm – Those medals are shiny

Those medals do glow indeed!

We've now heard the Star-Spangled Banner and completed the victory ceremony.

Stay with us as we'll bring you all the reaction shortly.

In the meantime, why not read our report?

5:07 pm – Everyone staying

I don't think anyone's left yet. Everyone wants to see the medal ceremony.

There's some sort of local rope-jumping display on the floor mat right now.

That's now 15 World gold medals for Simone Biles.

5:00 pm – Final results

GOLD USA 172.330

SILVER Russia 166.529

BRONZE Italy 164.796

China fourth, France fifth, Great Britain sixth, Canada seventh, Netherlands eighth.

4:55 pm – ITALY HAVE DONE IT!

11.933 for Iorio! Bronze for Italy!

They're all hugging and crying! First Worlds team medal since 1950!

China look dejected.

Becky Downie on beam will finish us off.

4:53 pm – Gold for USA, but will Italy medal?

Elisa Iorio stumbled on her mount… Italy nervous now.

Meanwhile, Simone Biles did the Biles II triple-double on her first pass – that's gold for Team USA!

4:51 pm – China off the podium?

China are done. 164.230 – behind Russia, with Italy still to come just under 12 points behind!

Here comes Simone Biles on floor…

4:44 pm – Russia have to wait

Russia are done on the vault. They've a total of 166.529. It's now going to be a nervous wait to see where they finish.

Italy's Asia d'Amato gets a 13.266 – they still have one gymnast left to go and are 13.666 behind Russia.

In fact, China are 15.732 behind Russia, so it could be them who miss the podium!

4:35 pm

A solid vault from Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos nets her and France 14.733, but they don't look like figuring in the medal picture.

Another interminable wait for a beam score, this time for Giorgia Villa who looked good and will hope to keep Italy in the top three. 13.600. She's submitted an inquiry into that score – and it's been denied.

4:25 pm – One rotation to go

Here are the scores with just one rotation left…

USA 128.431, Italy 125.997, China 123.864, Russia 122.630, Great Britain 121.996, Canada 120.664, Netherlands 120.329, France 120.029

4:17 pm – No Biles for Biles on beam

Simone Biles had everyone under her spell as she did her beam routine with every single pair of eyes watching her.

She didn't end with the Biles (double-double) dismount, though.

14.433, and the U.S. fairly comfortably in the lead. All eyes on Li Shijia to see if she can pull China's score up.

4:13 pm – Liu falls off beam!

Defending beam champion Liu Tingting has fallen! And now she's gone over time!

It's 12.333 for Liu.

4:10 pm – Becky Downie nails bars routine

14.900 for the Briton with a wonderful uneven bars routine!

4:06 pm – Chen tops beam scores (so far)

A rare clean routine on beam today – lots of falls – but China's Chen Yile manages not to come off.

It's a long, slightly painful, wait for the score.

Still waiting…

14.000, top of the pile to this point, level with Kara Eaker. Of course, individual scores don't count for anything here.

And Chen has submitted an inquiry into her score. It's unchanged.

3:48 pm – Mid-point scores

USA 87.465, Italy 83.698, China 83.265, Russia 82.130, Great Britain 79.897, France 79.297, Canada 77.631, Netherlands 77.297

3:35 pm – Liu Tingting falls twice on bars

The Asian Games uneven bars champion, Liu Tingting, just fell twice. The second fall was pretty scary as she nearly collapsed on top of the bar. Just an 11.900. Could this open the door for another team to sneak onto the podium?

Italy, who were on vault that rotation, have overtaken China in the team standings.

3:27 pm – De Jesus dos Santos suffers fall on beam

European all-around champion Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos just fell on beam on her front pike. Not going right for France so far after Pontlevoy's earlier falls. 12.233 for MDJDS.

Update (3:37 pm): An inquiry into de Jesus dos Santos' difficulty score has been submitted.

Update (3:40 pm): The inquiry has been denied; her score is unchanged.

3:24 pm – Tough start for both teams on bars

The first competitors both Team USA and Team China didn't have the routines they were hoping for.

First, China's Chen Yile came to nearly a complete stop on her Gienger and then hit her foot on the bar during a front giant. She scored just 13.733, down from qualifying.

Then, American Grace McCallum lost momentum on her toe-on full pirouette, fell the wrong way and had to add an extra swing. Just a 12.966.

3:15 pm – What the gymnasts are competing for

Did you know the 2019 Worlds medals glow for 5 minutes?

The light is triggered by a motion sensor when the medals are placed around a neck. The ribbon glows, too.

They use rechargeable batteries.

3:12 pm – One rotation down

Here are the scores:

USA 45.166, Russia 43.665, China 43.066, France 40.565, Italy 39.966, Canada 37.965, Netherlands 37.432, Great Britain 37.265

Next rotation: Italy/Great Britain on vault, USA/China on uneven bars, France/Russia on beam, Netherlands/Canada on floor.

3:00 pm – Score update

USA leads Russia and China with those three countries all done with their three gymnasts on the first rotation.

France's Claire Pontlevoy just fell twice on uneven bars.

2:55 pm – Biles puts on vault top score

15.400 for Biles on vault, the top score on that apparatus so far. USA in the lead. After qualifying, Biles admitted her steps were off on her run. It looked like there might have been an issue again today as she was very far back on the vaulting table. No worries, though, of course and she earned a massive 9.400 execution score.

2:47 pm – Giorgia Villa opens for Italy on floor

The Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, in her first year as a senior, is opening for Italy on floor and getting the crowd clapping to her music. 13.300 for the teenager.

2:42 pm – That leotard

Lots of social media love for the U.S. leotards.

2:40 pm – Simone Biles' boyfriend speaks

2:38 pm – Rotations…

USA and China start on vault, Russia and France on uneven bars, Canada and Netherlands on balance beam, Great Britain and Italy on floor.

2:25 pm – U.S. lineup

We're getting a live performance of the championships' theme song, Set New Signs, from the singer.

Here's how the U.S. women line up today…

2:20 pm – The men are cheering on

Great Britain's Max Whitlock has sent a message of good luck to the British women for today.

2:15 pm – WATCH: All of our Biles coverage from training

2:05 pm – ICYMI: Sam Mikulak scrapes through to all-around final

While we wait for the women's team final to start, let's catch up on yesterday.

If you weren't paying attention, where were you? The U.S. men were in action in the morning, but six-time national all-around champion Sam Mikulak had to wait all the way until past 10 pm local time to find out that he had, indeed, qualified for the individual AA final in 27th place (three men ahead of him were ineligible due to a cap of two athletes per country).

You can read our recap on Mikulak's rough day here.

1:45 pm – Simone history watch – again

Hello and good afternoon from Stuttgart, where the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle is quickly filling up ahead of the women's team final starting at 2:30 pm.

Unsurprisingly, the star attraction is Simone Biles, who could lead Team USA to another World Championships gold medal, and in turn become the most-decorated female gymnast in Championships history with an unprecedented (for a woman) 21st World medal.

We have live streaming of the final in selected countries: click here to find out more. Please note streaming may not be available in your territory. But don't worry, you can still stay with us on the blog for all the updates.

If you're following our live blog, do let us know @olympicchannel on Twitter or by using the official event hashtags, #Stuttgart2019 and #setnewsigns.