Russian Angelina Melnikova was crowned world all-around champion for the first time in her career, in Kitakyushu (Japan) on Thursday, three months after her Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
In the absence of American superstar Simone Biles, crowned almost continuously since 2013, Melnikova won with a total of 56.632 points, ahead of two other Americans, Leanne Wong (56.340) and Kayla di Cello (54.566).
The Russian gymnast (21) had already dominated the qualifications (57.065) ahead of Wong (55.749).
The two French women entered, Carolann Héduit and Célia Serber, were respectively ninth (51.965) and twentieth (49.733).
Beyond Biles, these 2021 Worlds, unusually organized in an Olympic year, after being postponed for a year because of the Covid-19 and abandoned by Copenhagen, are far from having been full.
The final of the men's all-around competition is scheduled for Friday, all of those by apparatus Saturday and Sunday.
