American gymnastics star Simone Biles concluded her performances at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a silver medal in the floor routine, following a fall from the balance beam earlier that same day. Biles entered her final competition with the chance to secure a total of five gold medals at these Olympics, which would have set a new record.
She had already earned a team gold medal with the U.S. gymnastics team, reclaimed the all-around title that she first won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and won gold in the vault with her impressive Yurchenko double pike. However, during the floor routine, Biles was unable to regain her position atop the podium due to two mistakes, leaving her with a score of 14.133 points, placing her just behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who achieved 14.166 points with a vigorous and graceful routine.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Biles received a standing ovation from her many fans as she left the mat with both arms raised in appreciation. Her earlier fall from the balance beam—one of several errors in the finals—marked the first significant challenge in her triumphant return to the Olympics, three years after her participation in the Tokyo Olympics was interrupted by a disorienting phenomenon known as “twisties,” which affects a gymnast’s sense of orientation and control during routines.
Biles finished in fifth place on the balance beam. Alice D’Amato became the first Italian female gymnast to win Olympic gold with a score of 14.366, while her fellow Italian, Manila Esposito, took home the bronze and China’s Zhou Yuqin secured the silver medal.
Biles’ fall during the gymnastics competition meant she could not add to her collection of Olympic gold medals, leaving her total at seven. She is now among a select group of female athletes who can only dream of following in the footsteps of Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and American swimmer Katie Ledecky, both of whom have achieved nine gold medals. However, the 27-year-old Biles has not ruled out the possibility of returning for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 in her home country.