Biles ends Paris Olympics with floor silver after falling off beam

By Sports Desk August 05, 2024

Simone Biles capped her trip to the 2024 Olympic Games with a silver medal in Monday's floor final, having earlier missed out on the podium in the balance beam event.  

Rebeca Andrade edged out the Team USA star to win her first gold of the Paris Games, having earlier claimed silver in the all-around and vault events and helped Brazil take bronze in the team event.

Biles' compatriot Jordan Chiles took bronze following a successful appeal to her score, bumping Romania's Ana Barbosu down to fourth. 

Biles had earlier finished outside the medal places for the first time at the 2024 Games in the beam event, a fall costing her as Italy's Alice d'Amato took gold.

Having earlier won gold in the team, all-around and vault events, Biles placed fifth after falling off the beam at the end of Monday's final. 

Biles appeared to express frustration with the crowd after her routine, holding her finger to her ear to question why most of those present had been silent. 

Biles' overall medal haul at the Games now stands at 11 – seven gold, two silver and two bronze. 

Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals for the Soviet Union, is the most successful female gymnast in Olympic history.

Related items

  • 'I'll remember it for a long time' - Emotional Scheffler revels in Olympic gold medal win 'I'll remember it for a long time' - Emotional Scheffler revels in Olympic gold medal win

    An emotional Scottie Scheffler says he will remember his gold medal win "for a long time" having come from behind with a record-equalling final round to win at the Olympics.

    The American started four strokes behind co-leaders Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele on Sunday but produced a superb nine-under 62 to pip Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood to the top of the leaderboard by one stroke as he finished on 19 under at Le Golf National.

    It has been a banner year for the world number one, who won his second Masters title in April before claiming a first-ever medal at the Olympics.

    Scheffler was emotional on the podium and expressed his pride at being able to add another gold medal to the United States' medal tally at the Paris Games.

    "I get emotional in general. Usually, I have a bit more time after a tournament to kind of reflect and compose myself, but with this one, you kind of go from one thing to the next," Scheffler told NBC.

    "You don't really reflect until you're standing up there on the podium. That was a pretty special moment I'll remember for a long time: standing up there on the podium with the gold medal around my neck.

    "It's been a long week. It's been a challenging week. I played some great golf today, and I'm proud to be going home with a medal."

    Despite his impressive score, it did not always look like Scheffler would have a chance of finishing on the podium, with Rahm pulling ahead, only to suffer a collapse on the back nine to slip out of contention.

    The 28-year-old made six birdies on the back nine, including four in a row after a slightly slow start on the first half of the course.

    "I felt good most of the day," Scheffler added. "I felt like I was doing a lot of good things, and the front nine, I hit a bit of a cold stretch on 4 through 9 where I wasn't able to make any birdies; and I felt like I had what was a lot of good putts and felt like what I felt was good putts and didn't go in.

    "[Caddie] Teddy [Scott] did a really good job of helping me stay patient out there, and did a good job of reading the greens, as well, and we were able to get hot there on the back nine and move our way up the leaderboard."

  • Alcaraz 'felt the pressure' in Paris Olympics final defeat to Djokovic Alcaraz 'felt the pressure' in Paris Olympics final defeat to Djokovic

    Carlos Alcaraz says the pressure got to him in the Olympic Games final as he lost out on the gold medal to Novak Djokovic.

    In a hard-fought battle, Djokovic claimed his first-ever gold medal with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) victory at Roland-Garros, avenging his Wimbledon final defeat to the Spaniard last month.

    Alcaraz, playing in the Olympics for the first time, was chasing the top prize to add to this year's trophy haul, having already won the French Open and Wimbledon.

    The 21-year-old was the second-youngest men's singles finalist at the Olympics in tennis history, after Robert LeRoy in St. Louis in 1904, but missed the chance to become the youngest-ever champion in the competition.

    And Alcaraz admitted the pressure of playing for his country weighed on him, causing him to falter at key moments.

    "It was a different type of pressure," Alcaraz said. "Everyone in Spain wanted me to win the gold, and I wanted to win the gold as well.

    "In those difficult moments I usually raise my level, but I wasn't able to do that today. Probably, I felt the pressure in those situations. You play four grand slams every year, the Olympics is only once every four years.

    "Obviously, this week, this tournament has been really special for me. I'm going to take it for the rest of my life, for the rest of my career, for sure. Playing with Rafa [Nadal in the men's doubles], getting my first Olympics medal - hopefully not the last one - it's been a special one."

  • McIlroy: Olympics show 'what's important' about sport McIlroy: Olympics show 'what's important' about sport

    Rory McIlroy says the Olympic Games show "what's important" about sport after a tightly contested four days in Paris.

    The Northern Irishman had played himself into contention after a much-improved performance on the third day of the competition, and he was one shot off the lead going into the 15th hole on Sunday.

    However, his chances of taking a medal ended when he found the water on his approach and he eventually finished tied for fifth with Jon Rahm, four strokes behind gold medal winner Scottie Scheffler.

    McIlroy, who also narrowly missed out on a medal in Tokyo three years ago, says it is refreshing to play in the Olympics after some turbulent years in the sport due to controversy surrounding the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV circuit.

    "I still think that the Ryder Cup is the best tournament that we have in our game, pure competition, and I think this has the potential to be right up there with it," said the four-time major winner.

    "I think with how much of a s*** show the game of golf is right now, and you think about the two tournaments that might be the purest form of competition in our sport, we don't play for money in it.

    "So, it speaks volumes for what's important in sport and what's important. I think every single player this week has had an amazing experience."

    On the final day, some of the biggest names were still in contention for the gold, which Scheffler won after a record-equalling round of 62.

    Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama took silver and bronze respectively, with Rahm squandering a four-stroke lead after a poor back nine.

    McIlroy enjoyed a streak of five birdies in the back nine on the final day at Le Golf National but lamented the double bogey on the 15th that effectively ended his medal challenge.

    "Missed my spot by nearly three or four yards and that ended up costing me a medal," he added.

    "I had a wedge in my hand on 15, and you birdie that and get to 18-under and tied for the lead, yeah, absolutely [I was thinking about the gold medal].

    "Any medal is possible at that point."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.