Simone Biles wins fourth all-around World Gymnastics Championships title
- From the section Gymnastics
Simone Biles said this year had "been a little bit rough" after making history by becoming the first woman to win four all-around World Championships titles.
The American had not competed since the 2016 Rio Olympics, and it was her first event since she revealed she had been sexually abused by a USA team doctor.
In addition, the 21-year-old was admitted to hospital with a kidney stone on the eve of the Worlds in Doha.
"This is definitely the scariest one from the ones from the past," she said.
Britain's Ellie Downie, 19, finished 11th on her return to competition after two operations on her left ankle.
On Saturday, Downie takes part in the uneven bars final, while double Olympic champion Max Whitlock will aim to win a third successive world title on the pommel horse.
Biles takes 12th world gold despite errors
Biles had errors on vault, beam and floor but her total of 57.491 was enough to beat Japan's Mai Murakami into silver and USA's Morgan Hurd into third.
A backward roll on landing on vault and a fall off the beam left her almost three full marks down on her qualifying scores.
Uneven bars was the Olympic champion's cleanest routine, despite it traditionally being her weakest discipline.
Going last on the floor she needed a score of 13.307 to overcome Murakami to take gold and, even with a step out of bounds, Biles scored 15.00 to seal the title by 1.693 marks.
"I wish I could have put out a better performance because that's not the gymnast that I am," added Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics.
"But we all make mistakes and fall - it's just how you get up and prove yourself."
Biles helped the United States to an emphatic women's team gold earlier in the week and her latest victory saw her win a 12th world title.
She has earned 15 World Championships medals, which is five behind the record holder, Svetlana Khorkina of Russia.