Simone Biles loses out on gold after shock balance beam fall

Simone Biles experienced a challenging day at the Summer Olympics in Paris, slipping off the balance beam and incurring penalties on the floor exercise.

Sadly, this led to her not winning a gold medal for the first time during these Games.

posterposter
Despite these setbacks, her performance has still been remarkable, especially considering it marks a triumphant return from her disappointing experience three years ago at the Olympics in Tokyo.

In the individual beam final, Biles lost her balance and fell off the apparatus, which ended her chances of making further history in France. Alice D’Amato of Italy won the gold, Zhou Yaqin of China claimed silver, and Italian Manila Esposito took bronze.

Later, in the floor final, Biles appeared to deliver another stunning performance, an apparatus she has historically excelled in. However, two instances of landing out of bounds cost her six-tenths of a point, bringing her score down to 14.133, just behind gold medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, who scored 14.166.

Despite the less-than-ideal conclusion, Biles’ overall performance in Paris has been extraordinary. She solidified her legacy by winning gold in the team event with Team USA, the individual all-around competition, and the vault final. With these victories, Biles became the most decorated American Olympic gymnast of all time, amassing 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold. She also set a new record as the oldest American gymnast to win a gold medal at the age of 27.

Reflecting on her achievements, Biles remained positive. “I accomplished way more than my wildest dreams – not just at this Olympics, but in this sport,” Biles told reporters, per CNN. “So I can’t be mad at my performances. A couple years ago, I didn’t think I’d be back here at an Olympic Games, so competing and then walking away with four medals, I’m not mad about it. I’m pretty proud of myself.”

Biles had a chance to tie an extraordinary record if she had won both the beam and floor exercises on Monday. The only two women to ever win nine Olympic gold medals are American swimmer Katie Ledecky and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. Biles will now look to the Los Angeles 2028 Games for another opportunity to reach that milestone.

The beam final proved difficult for many competitors, including Biles’ teammate Sunisa Lee, who also fell during her routine. Lee lost her footing, landed with the beam between her legs, and fell to the mat, finishing in sixth place, just behind Biles.

It was a lot of pressure. It was just crazy to see how everybody was going down like that,” Lee said. “You could feel the tension in the room. The crowd shushing us for cheering. We didn’t like that as it was just so silent in there. I love hearing my teammates cheer for me.”

Biles also commented on the unusual atmosphere during the beam final, noting the unsettling silence and the crowd’s shushing. She mentioned that gymnasts have previously requested background music during beam finals but have been denied. “I don’t know. It was really weird and awkward,” Biles said. “And we’ve asked several times if we can have some music or some background noise, so I’m not really sure what happened there. But yeah, not our favorite. None of us liked it.”

Despite the day’s challenges, Biles remains one of the most iconic figures of all time in gymnastic history, with her achievements in Paris further cementing her status as a legendary athlete.

 

LIVE: Paris Olympics 2024 – Simone Biles in women's gymnastics final |  Paris Olympics 2024 News | Al Jazeera

READ MORE
French Olympic diver causes stir online with bulge in swim trunks
Olympian blasts organizers after swimming in polluted river – ‘safety isn’t priority’

Related Posts

Hollywood mourns the loss of Pippa Scott

Hollywood mourns the loss of Pippa Scott

Pippa Scott, the red-haired beauty who made her unforgettable film debut as Lucy, the niece of John Wayne’s character in The Searchers, has passed away at the…

Woman her husband on honeymoon after he refuses to …

Woman her husband on honeymoon after he refuses to …

What should have been the joyful start of a new life ended in death and deception in the hills of Shillong, India. On May 20, businessman Raja…

This approximately 2-year-old boy was found… See more

This approximately 2-year-old boy was found… See more

Viral Facebook posts claiming a young boy was found alone at night by a police officer in either Hereford or King’s Lynn have been confirmed as false….

Mum wakes to find five-year-old daughter dead beside her

Mum wakes to find five-year-old daughter dead beside her

Lila Marsland, who was weeks shy of her sixth birthday, was found unresponsive next to her mother, Rachel, 36. When the mom woke up and realized her…

oung woman d!es at the hand

oung woman d!es at the hand

Actress Robyn Bernard Passes Away Jennifer Robyn Bernard, known for her role as Terry Brock on General Hospital during the 1980s, has died. She appeared in 145…

I recently spent ,500 on this registered Black Angus bull

I recently spent $6,500 on this registered Black Angus bull

I recently spent $6,500 on this registered Black Angus bull. I put him out with the herd but he just ate grass and wouldn’t even look at…