Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images
Simone Biles and Suni Lee both fell off the balance beam during the women’s final event at the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old and the 21-year-old finished in 5th and 6th place, respectively, while Italy took home the gold and bronze and China won silver.
During Suni’s beam routine, the gymnast had a strong start before suddenly fumbling one of her landings. The brief stumble caused her to lean backwards, then fall off the beam onto the mat. She quickly recovered and got back up, and scored a 13.100 on the event.
As for her teammate Simone, the gymnastics GOAT also had a strong start but abruptly fell off the beam after one of her landings. She regained control by getting back up, then finishing with a solid dismount. After a lengthy delay in releasing her final score, Simone was given a 13.100.
Suni spoke with reporters following the event, admitting that after the past nine days of competition, she was “so tired today.”
After her routine in the beam final, Simone Biles was one of the first to encourage Suni Lee. 🥹 #ParisOlympics
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— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) August 5, 2024
“I would say it definitely didn’t go how I wanted it to,” the two-time Olympian said. “I don’t even know what happened in my series. I thought it was straight on, and then all of a sudden, I was on the ground.”
Simone Biles falls off the beam as heartbreak strikes US gymnastics. #OlympicGames #Olympic2024 #Paris2024 #breaking #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/wXTWGihK4s
— The News You Dont See (@Crazynews4real) August 5, 2024
Three years prior, Suni finished the Tokyo Olympic Games balance beam final in fifth place, while Simone took home the bronze medal at the time.
Simone Biles finishes strong in the balance beam final. #ParisOlympics
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— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2024
“I’m just really disappointed because I feel like I have so much more to prove on beam, and every single time I get to the final, I can just never do the routine that I want to do,” Suni added while speaking with reporters. “But that’s just the mental side of it.”
As for what she plans to do next when it comes to beam, Suni noted, “So, I just need to go and do the work and put all the effort in and maybe one day you’ll have it.”
“I was telling everyone like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this beam final,’” the former Auburn University student said. “I’m so tired, and then, I felt like I hadn’t done beam in a while just because I can’t keep track of my days while I’ve been here. But the pressure was definitely on today.”
Despite the upset, Suni and Simone helped their team win gold at the women’s final. Shortly thereafter, Simone won gold at the women’s all-around final, while Suni took home the bronze. For the vault final, Simone won gold, and Suni won bronze in the uneven bars event.
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