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Simone Biles, Suni Lee both fall, miss podium in Women's Balance Beam Final at Paris Olympics

Nikki Chavanelleby:Nikki Chavanelle•08/05/24•

NikkiChavanelle

Suni Lee Simone Biles
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Team USA powerhouses Simone Biles and Suni Lee both suffered consequential falls on the balance beam on Monday, missing out on the podium. Biles placed fifth in the individual competition while Lee took sixth place.

With two of the favorites out of the medal mix, Italian gymnast Alice D’Amato won the gold medal in the balance beam with a score of 14.366. It was the first gold medal ever won by an Italian female in gymnastics. China’s Zou Yaqin took the silver medal while D’Amato’s fellow Italian, Manila Esposito, won the bronze.

After their respective falls from the beam, both Biles and Lee finished their routines strongly. They also comforted each other as they realized they wouldn’t be medaling in this event.

Though Lee’s Olympics program is now over, Biles has one more individual event final remaining. She’ll compete with fellow Team USA star Jordan Chiles in the individual floor final.

Biles takes gold in vault, Jade Carey takes bronze

On Sunday, Biles won the women’s vault at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 15.300 average score, securing yet another Olympic Gold Medal.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade scored a 14.966 in an anticipated run. Andrade won Gold at the 2020 games following Biles’ withdrawal from four events in Tokyo. Team USA’s Jade Carey took Bronze with a 14.446.

Following her run at the vault Saturday, Biles’ 15.300 average score led the next best by over a full point at that time.

Biles won her second gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics in the individual women’s all-around. She capped it off with the floor routine – her strongest event – and scored a 15.066. That sealed her second gymnastics gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it put her in position to bring home a third in Saturday’s vault.

After the team victory, Biles’ husband Jonathan Owens posted a picture on Instagram with Biles while wearing her medal. Some users in the comments called the star gymnast out for letting Owens put the gold medal on, and another took to TikTok to do so.

Biles offered a strong defense in the comments. She noted she let her entire family wear it and take pictures and encouraged people to avoid “assumptions” about how she celebrated.

“Crazy thing is, I put my medal on every single one of my family members and took pictures. So don’t ever make assumptions,” she wrote, along with an eyeroll emoji. “Like y’all are so f—king miserable. Leave us alone.”

Following the balance beam individual competition, Biles now has one more chance at another gold medal. She’ll compete for a medal in the individual floor event on Monday afternoon.