Simone Biles secures bronze as she competes the balance beam
Biles gets BRONZE: Simone wins seventh Olympic medal on the beam as she returns to action in Tokyo to rapturous applause
- The 24-year-old took part in the balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, when she put on a stellar performance to win the bronze medal
- Biles’ appearance in the event marked her first return to competition since she made the shock decision to pull out of the team final – before withdrawing from the all-around, uneven bars, vault, and floor exercise
- Last week, Biles, from Spring, Texas, revealed that she was suffering from the ‘twisties’, a mental block that causes gymnasts to feel as though they are ‘lost in the air’ and can result in serious injury
- She delighted gymnastics fans on Monday when she announced that she would compete in the beam final – having worked on a new routine that eliminated all twisting elements
- The biggest change to her routine was the dismount; Biles made history as the first ever woman to perform an incredibly tricky double-double, which requires two flips and two twists
- Her mental issues made the twisting impossible, so she switched it out at the last minute for a double pike, landing it without a hitch in order to secure the bronze – her seventh Olympic medal
- Biles now ties 1996 Olympian Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by a US female gymnast
Simone Biles departed her troubled Tokyo Olympics with one final flip by landing a bronze medal in the balance beam final – after returning to competition following a battle with mental health issues that saw her withdraw from five event finals.
The world’s greatest female gymnast showed she was determined she wasn’t what going to leave Japan without displaying her supreme athleticism one last time after dropping out of the team and four individual finals in order to ‘focus on her mental health’.
The now-seven-time Olympic medalist was all smiles after she finished her routine, which earned her a score of 14.0, landing a double pike dismount that helped to clinch her third place at the Ariake Gymnastics Center.
China’s athletes secured both of the top spots, with Chenchen Guan winning the gold, while her teammate Xijing Tang clinched the silver.
Biles’ appearance in the beam final marks her first return to competition since she made the shock decision to pull out of the all-around, uneven bars, vault, and floor exercise events to ‘focus on her mental health’ – having withdrawn from the team final after making a major mistake on her first event.
She came into Tokyo with a five-medal haul from Rio 2016 – four golds and a bronze – and although she had a silver from last week’s team final, she withdrew after just one event, the vault, leaving her three teammates to finish the competition a man-down.
She’s back! Simone Biles has won Olympic bronze in the balance beam final after overcoming the ‘petrifying’ mental issues that saw her pull out of five events
Ready to go: The 24-year-old, from Spring, Texas, pulled off a near-flawless routine to clinch her seventh Olympic medal – which sees her tie 1996 Olympian Shannon Miller for the most won by a US female gymnast
Changes: Biles switched up several elements in her routine in order to ensure she didn’t struggle with the ‘twisties’, a mental block that causes gymnasts to feel ‘lost in the air’ and can result in serious injuries and which has blighted her Olympic dream
Up in the air: During her routine, Biles made just a few balance checks and wobbles, securing an overall score of 14.0 – several tenths of a point higher than her qualifying finish
Biles is pictured in the air as she competes in the balance beam final in Tokyo on Tuesday
Simone Biles, of the United States, competes during the women’s artistic gymnastics balance beam final
The 24-year-old gave her coach Cecile Landi a huge hug as soon as she left the floor, beaming with happiness as she then shared an emotional embrace with teammate Sunisa Lee, 18, who clinched the all-around title in Biles’ absence last week.
Biles’ emotion was clear for all to see; after landing her dismount – a new skill that she added into her routine in order to combat the ‘twisties’ mental block that she was struggling with – she put her hand over her heart before turning to the crowd to wave and blow kisses.
Following Biles’ medal win, USA Gymnastics celebrated her return to ‘GOAT’ status on social media, tweeting: ‘Leading by example. Simone Biles closed the show with a bronze at the Balance Beam final. The GOAT got it done.’
After the gymnast landed her routine – during which she made only the smallest of balance corrections and wobbles – 2008 Olympian-turned-commentator Bridget Sloan remarked that Biles has ‘made the impossible possible’ by overcoming her mental health struggles to return to competition.
Biles completes a double pike dismount during the final of the balance beam final in Tokyo on Tuesday
After completing her routine, Biles rushed over to her teammate Sunisa Lee and the pair embraced as Biles looked relieved
American gymnast Simone Biles stepped out into gymnastics arena in Tokyo to a huge applause as she prepares to compete in the balance beam final
American gymnast Simone Biles is warming up for the balance beam final when she will compete for the first time since dropping out of the team and three individual finals because of mental health issues
The six-time Olympic medalist shocked the world when she pulled herself out of the all-around, vault, floor exercise and uneven bars finals to focus on her mental health
Biles, who won a bronze medal on the balance beam at the Rio 2016 Olympics, warms up prior to the Women’s Balance Beam Final and practices her moves
She was pictured in her leotard next to Lee and her coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and appeared to be in good spirits during the warm-up session
Biles was seen warming up and practicing her routine on the balance beam at the last training session before tonight’s final
The Texas-based sporting star, who won a bronze medal on the balance beam at the Rio 2016 Olympics, walked out onto the floor in a red USA tracksuit alongside teammate and Olympic champion Lee.
Tuesday’s final was her last chance for a gold medal after she pulled out of four final competitions – a move that was criticized by some but ultimately praised for putting her mental health before competing.
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Biles had to settle for a bronze medal on the balance beam, having made a major error during her routine, which had been expected to win her the gold.
Her decision to take part in the same final in Tokyo gave her the chance to get a second shot at the gold, as well as giving gymnastics fans one last chance to see the GOAT compete.
Earlier today, Biles was pictured in a red, white and blue leotard next to Lee and her coach and she appeared to be in good spirits during the warm-up session.
Biles was seen warming up and practicing her routine on the apparatus at the last training session before the final.
USA Gymnastics announced on Monday that Biles would be joining her teammate Lee in the balance beam final.
‘We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow,’ it said in a statement. ‘Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!’
The news that Biles was going to compete in the balance beam final indicated that the athlete had managed to work through the mental health struggles which prompted her to pull out of the finals for the vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars – all of which she was expected to medal in.
Instead, Biles has taken on the role of cheerleader and spectator throughout each of the finals, including the floor exercise event on Monday, during which she was seen clapping and yelling while Carey, 21, competed in the Ariake Gymnastics Center.
Biles was pictured in the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Monday next to MyKayla Skinner (center) and Grace McCallum (right) to cheer teammate Jade Carey to a gold medal on floor
The 24-year-old (pictured with her teammates from the men’s and women’s team) has taken on the role of enthusiastic supporter and cheerleader throughout the other event finals
Tuesday’s attempt at gold will be Biles’ last appearance at the Tokyo Olympics – during which gymnast has endured a troubling struggle with poor mental health, leading her to drop out of four competitions, including the team and all-around finals.
It remains to be seen whether Biles will manage to surge ahead to medal glory in the balance beam final, which she qualified for in a disappointing seventh place – while her teammate Lee finished in third place in the preliminary competition behind Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing.
Biles, a three-time World balance beam champion, has been putting in plenty of training time ahead of Tuesday’s final, working on several new skills that will allow her to complete a routine without worrying about her struggle with the ‘twisties’ – a mental phenomenon that causes gymnasts to feel like they are ‘lost in the air’ and can result in devastating injury.
‘It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind & body in sync,’ Biles wrote in an Instagram story last week, noting that she’d had these kinds of periods before and it had usually taken around two weeks to recover.
‘Something you literally have to take day by day, turn by turn.’
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Biles (pictured today) had to settle for a bronze medal on the balance beam, having made a major error during her routine, which had been expected to win her the gold
Tuesday’s attempt at gold will be Biles’ last appearance at the Olympics – during which gymnast has endured a troubling struggle with poor mental health, leading her to drop out of four competitions, including the team and all-around finals
Biles concentrates as she practices her routine on Tuesday during a training session before the balance beam final
It remains to be seen whether Biles will manage to surge ahead to medal glory in the balance beam final, which she qualified for in a disappointing seventh place – while her teammate Lee finished in third place in the preliminary competition behind Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing
Other gymnasts concurred, both in how terrifying the condition can be – getting it might not just cost you a medal but also cost you your life – and how there’s no clear prescription for recovery.
‘Like when you are getting lost in the air and you don’t quite know where you are. It’s hard, man,’ said Dylan Schmidt, who took bronze in trampoline at Tokyo.
‘I’ve had it before and to bounce back it usually takes a few days to build that confidence back. The sport is hard.’
Biles shocked the world last week when she did one vault at the start of the women’s team final and then pulled out, later saying she had lost her way in the air.
Most agreed that it was a measure of how skilled a gymnast Biles is that she was able to land on her feet at all after her vault in the team competition went badly wrong and escape without injury.
Laurie Hernandez, a gold medal gymnastics Olympian from Rio 2016, said beam is probably the safest competition for somebody struggling with the ‘twisties’.
‘For starters, it is upright. When you are on bars, you are swinging upside down consistently,’ Hernandez told the ‘Today Show.’
Beam is also easier because skills there involve fewer twists, and gymnastics watchers said they thought Biles would likely use an easier dismount than usual as a precaution.
‘So I think beam is probably the safest route in terms of doing skills that don’t have too many twists. I’m curious to see what she’ll do for her dismount, but I have a feeling she’s going to do very well,’ Hernandez said.
Biles has stressed that being aged 24 and the oldest member of the US women’s team has added to her anxieties and is one of the reasons ‘the demons’ have affected her in Tokyo.
Simone, one of the greatest all time Olympic gymnasts, will be 27 when the next games are staged in Paris in 2024 and has indicated that she plans to retire from elite competition long before then.
She said she had lost confidence and worried about competing and was suffering the ‘twisties’ which hamper the ability to maintain any awareness in the air, and can therefore result in serious injury.
Ready to go: In 2016 (pictured), Biles had to settle for bronze in the balance beam final – but she will now get another chance to claim gold in the event
Biles made a very rare error during her routine in the Rio 2016 final and, while she managed to stay on the apparatus, the mistake cost her a chance at winning
Biles has received glowing praise for her ‘bravery’ and ‘courage’ to put her mental health before competing after she pulled out of multiple finals, with a number of Olympic champions past and present sending her messages of support over the past weeks.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach admitted Biles’ bravery to confront her mental health problems in front of the world is ‘admirable’.
He said: ‘I can only say, you know, we are with her. I must personally say I had the opportunity to at least briefly talk with her after the team competition.
‘I’m really admiring how she’s handling the situation. She admits to having this problem. This is already courageous. Who one year ago would have admitted to say (they) have mental health problems?
‘And at the same time then cheering on (her) teammates. And then being there, and supporting when her successor is in the all-around final? This is, you know, great human quality and this is Olympic spirit at its best.’
Britain’s newly-crowned double Olympic champion on the Pommel Horse Max Whitlock said in a message to Biles: ‘You’ve pushed boundaries time and time again. Rest up and take time.’
US swimming legend Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals, talked about the need for mental health resources for Olympic athletes after Biles withdrew from a number of events, having revealed back in 2018 he suffered with depression himself and contemplated suicide after the 2012 London Games.