Additional Coverage:
Simone Biles did not secure a medal on the balance beam at the 2024 Paris Olympics, missing her chance to add another to the bronzes she won in the 2016 and 2020 Games. During her performance, Biles, clad in a striking blue-and-white leotard adorned with over 5,000 crystals, lost her balance near the end of her routine and had to step off the beam, disappointing the audience at Bercy Arena, which included NFL icon Tom Brady.
The gymnastics star finished with a score of 13.100, tying with her U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee for fourth place. The wait for Biles’ score was lengthy, and she appeared visibly frustrated knowing she would not make the medal podium.
The beam event saw Italy’s Alice D’Amato clinch gold with a score of 14.366, Zhou Yaqin of China taking silver with 14.100, and another Italian, Manila Esposito, grabbing bronze. This was a historic moment for Italy, marking its first medal in the beam event and following a silver medal win in the team competition.
Lee, who tied with Biles for fifth, also fell during her routine. Despite the setback, the 21-year-old athlete will leave Paris with three medals, a significant achievement given her recent health challenges related to chronic kidney issues.
Later that day, Biles was set to compete in the floor exercise, an event she has dominated in past international competitions. Lee reflected on their performances, expressing disappointment but confidence in Biles’ upcoming floor event, labeling her as the G.O.A.T. (“Greatest of All Time”).
This competition might mark the end of Biles’ Olympic career, which includes seven golds among her 10 medals. A further medal would tie her with Czechoslovakian gymnast Vera Caslavska for the second-most by a female gymnast in Olympics history, behind only Larisa Latynina of the former Soviet Union.
While Biles hinted at possible retirement, she left the door open for participation in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, emphasizing the allure of competing on home soil.