Simone Biles had a tough day at the Summer Olympics in Paris. She slipped off the balance beam and also got penalties on the floor exercise.
Unfortunately, this meant Simone Biles didn’t win a gold medal for the first time at these Games.
Even with these challenges, her performance has been impressive, especially since she’s come back strongly after a tough time at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
In the individual beam final, Biles fell off the balance beam, which ended her chance to make more history in France. Alice D’Amato from Italy won the gold, Zhou Yaqin from China got the silver, and Manila Esposito from Italy took the bronze.
Later, in the floor exercise final, Biles seemed to give another great performance, especially since she’s been really good at this event. However, she lost six-tenths of a point because she landed out of bounds twice. This lowered her score to 14.133, just behind the gold medalist Rebeca Andrade from Brazil, who scored 14.166.
Even though things didn’t end perfectly, Biles’ overall performance in Paris was amazing. She strengthened her legacy by winning gold in the team event with Team USA, the individual all-around competition, and the vault final. With these wins, Biles became the most decorated American Olympic gymnast ever, with 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold. She also set a new record as the oldest American gymnast to win a gold medal at age 27.
Looking back on her achievements, Biles stayed positive. “I accomplished more than I ever dreamed – not just at these Olympics, but in this sport,” she told reporters, according to CNN. “So I can’t be mad about my performances. A few years ago, I didn’t think I’d be back at the Olympics, so competing and winning four medals makes me proud.”
Biles had a chance to tie a big record if she had won both the beam and floor exercises on Monday. The only two women who have won nine Olympic gold medals are American swimmer Katie Ledecky and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. Biles will now aim for this goal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
The beam final was tough for many, including Biles’ teammate Sunisa Lee, who also fell during her routine. Lee lost her balance, landed awkwardly, and fell to the mat, finishing in sixth place, just behind Biles.
“It was really stressful. It was surprising to see so many people making mistakes,” Lee said. “The room felt tense and the crowd was shushing us, which we didn’t like. We love hearing our teammates cheer for us.”
Biles also noted the unusual silence during the beam final and the crowd’s shushing. She mentioned that gymnasts have asked for background music during beam finals before but were turned down. “It felt really weird and awkward,” Biles said. “We’ve asked several times for music or some background noise, but it didn’t happen. None of us liked it.”
Even with the day’s challenges, Biles is still one of the most famous gymnasts ever. Her achievements in Paris have only made her status as a legendary athlete even stronger.
