Simone Biles will leave the Tokyo Olympics with a piece of U.S. Olympic history.
Biles won a bronze medal in the balance beam event. She scored a 14.000 and was the third gymnast to compete.
China finished 1-2 in the balance beam with Guan Chenchen getting gold and Tang Xinjing winning silver. Guan had a 14.633 and Tang had a 14.233.
Ms. Biles now has seven Olympic medals and is tied with Shanon Miller for the most medals by an American gymnast.
She finished her performance with a double pike, managing to beat the “twisties” she and so many other gymnasts had talked about earlier in the week.
Now we’ll agree she had courage. She came back and won, defeating her fears.
Simone Biles does a double pike dismount, which she hasn’t done in approximately 9 years! What a wonderful performance! https://t.co/r1y7ceKyhG
— Poor Lawyer (@poorlawyer) August 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/gymnastics/status/1422486087671418880?s=20
Last week, Biles responded to some of the criticism in an Instagram Q&A. She explained she was getting the “twisties” on the vault and floor events of the competitions and said she’s suffered through them before, and they are “petrifying.”
“I didn’t have a bad performance and quit. I’ve had plenty of bad performances throughout my career and finished the competition. I simply got so lost my safety was at risk as well as a team medal. Therefore, the girls stepped up and killed the rest of the competition and won silver. QUEENS!!!
“Hence why we have four team members because all of us can compete in team meet. Not just me,” she wrote.
“No this was not happening before I left USA. It randomly started happening after prelims competition the VERY next morning. By that time NO an alternate was not allowed to be placed in my position for all your ‘know it alls.’ We have four on a team for a reason. I chose to not continue team competition in jeopardizing losing a medal (of any color) for the girls/US. Also, for my own safety and health.
“For anyone saying I quit, I didn’t quit. My mind and body are simply not in sync. I don’t think you realize how dangerous this is on a hard/competition surface. Nor do I have to explain why I put health first. Physical health is mental health.”
Subscribe to the Daily Newsletter
wpDiscuz
