Thousands of gasps reverberated throughout Paris’ Bercy Arena as America’s most decorated gymnast Simone Biles fell off the beam, her podium dreams dashed in one fell swoop.
Striding away from the floor without her trademark beaming smile after her big dismount, Biles’ blunder secured her fifth place with a score of 13.100.
It was 21-year-old Alice d’Amato of Italy who took out the top spot, securing gold over her 27-year-old idol with a score of 14.366.
China’s Zhou Yaqin scored silver with 14.100, and Italy’s Manila Esposito bronze with 14.000.
Simone Biles overbalanced on the beam, which proved to be a costly error.
Biles’ United States compatriat Suni Lee also failed to secure a medal, coming sixth behind Biles with a score of 13.100. Biles’ friendly rival, Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, came fourth with a score of 13.933.
It was a shocking round of beam, with three of the four favourites faltering in their routines.
In addition to Biles, Lee, Brazil’s Júlia Soares, and Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea all fell, and Zhou managed to avoid falling, but she did put both hands on the beam.
Biles doesn’t have long to dwell on it, however, as she’s next up on floor, which starts at 10.30pm AEST.
It comes days after she earned her seventh Olympic gold medal by soaring to victory in the women’s vault final on Sunday AEST.
She averaged 15.300 for her signature Yurchenko double pike and Cheng vaults to claim a second gold in the event in eight years – her first came at Rio 2016.
Biles has been on a “redemption tour” after pulling out of Tokyo 2020 due to the “twisties”.
Her performance over the weekend meant she now has 10 Olympic medals in her career, tied for the third most by a female gymnast.
She also boosted her medal count at major international competitions to 40, the most by any gymnast.
Gold medalist Pan Zhanle, of China, poses with silver medalist Kyle Chalmers, of Australia, right, and bronze medalist David Popovici, of Romania, left, after the men’s 100-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
© 2024 Wide World Of Sports
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