Photo Credit:Suni Lee/Instagram
Simone Biles and Suni Lee faced challenges on the balance beam during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, resulting in both gymnasts missing out on medals. In what could be the last competition of Biles' illustrious career, she fell during her routine in the women's artistic gymnastics individual balance beam finals at Bercy Arena. Both she and Lee scored 13.1 after their falls, finishing in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Italy's Alice D'Amato clinched the gold medal with a score of 14.366, while China's Yuqin Zhou won silver with 14.1, and Italy's Manila Esposito took bronze with 14.0.
The balance beam, a mere 4 inches wide and 4.1 feet off the ground, proved challenging. Biles slipped during her aerial series but completed her routine with a signature dismount, although she appeared displeased. Lee, who was second to perform, had a strong start but stumbled on her last aerial series and fell. Despite her fall, she finished her routine, scoring 13.1, down from her 14.033 score in qualifying.
“We’re both kind of upset just because that’s not how I wanted to end my Olympic Games and I’m sure she didn’t want that, either,” Lee said. She expressed pride in her achievements despite the setback and mentioned needing time off to decide her future. Biles and her coaches consoled Lee after her fall, to which Lee responded, “I’m good.”
Lee, reflecting on her performance, 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.” She added, “I’m just really disappointed because I feel like I have so much more to prove on beam.” She also mentioned feeling fatigued after nine days of competition and uncertain about her ability to compete in the beam final.
Despite the falls, both gymnasts contributed significantly to Team USA's success earlier in the Games. They won gold in the women's team final, with Biles also securing gold in the individual all-around and vault events, and Lee earning bronze on the uneven bars.
