Simone Biles Falls and Misses Out on Beam Medal

Simone Biles, the 27-year-old American gymnast who had already claimed team, all-around, and vault gold at the Paris Olympics, missed out on a beam medal after falling during her routine, BBC reported. Biles, a two-time bronze medalist in the event, faced difficulty at the end of an aerial series, ultimately placing fifth. This final was notably challenging as half of the gymnasts failed to stay on the 10cm-wide apparatus.

Biles' Disappointment and Gold for Italy

Despite delivering a flawless dismount, Biles lost her footing during a double layout which cost her a place on the podium. There was a tense wait in the Bercy Arena before her score of 13.100 was announced, eliciting reactions from the packed audience that confirmed she was out of medal contention. Afterward, Biles, visibly frustrated, engaged in a tense conversation with her coach and team-mate Sunisa Lee, who also fell during her performance.

Top Performances and Medallists

Italy’s Alice D’Amato clinched the gold with a score of 14.366, executing her routine seamlessly. China’s Zhou Yaqin earned the silver medal with 14.100, while another Italian, Manila Esposito, secured the bronze with 14.000. Meanwhile, Brazil's Rebeca Andrade's final score of 13.933 confirmed D’Amato's top spot and signaled the end of Biles' medal chances in this event.

Crowd Impact and Watching for Floor Final

The gallery's unease was palpable, reflecting in shouts of "Come on Simone" and subsequent shushing sounds, creating a tense atmosphere both gymnasts and spectators could sense. Sunisa Lee expressed their collective frustration, emphasizing the preference for supportive cheering instead of silence. Biles has one remaining opportunity to add to her medal count in the floor final, scheduled for Monday at 13:23 BST.

Earlier, SSP reported that Jeremiah Azu's dreams were dashed by 100m disqualification at the Olympics.