Simone Biles missed the chance of a fourth medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after finishing fifth in the women’s balance beam final – where Alice D’Amato became Italy’s first ever gymnastics champion.
There was plenty to celebrate for the Italian team with Manila Esposito winning bronze, while China’s Zhou Yaqin took silver.
7-time Olympic champion Biles arrived at the final day of gymnastics competition in Paris with three gold medals to her name already from the Games having taken victory in the individual all-around final, the women’s vault and the team all-around event.
Zhou Yaqin – who qualified in first place – opened the competition with a score of 14.100, which would have been higher had it not been for an error which required her to put her hands on the beam for balance.
There were gasps in Bercy Arena as American Sunisa Lee (13.100) fell from the apparatus during her routine, as a double layout ended in her straddling the beam before crashing to the mat.
With the pressure and nerves building, Brazil’s Julia Soares (12.333) also fell during her routine.
Despite a wobble, reigning European champion Manila Esposito (14.000) provided the first routine of the competition without any major deductions, before Sabrina Maneca-Voinea suffered an early slip on her way to a 11.733 score.
A confident and composed Alice D’Amato was the first gymnast to nail their routine and drew a score of 14.366 to go to the top of the leader board.
Next up was Biles, who was greeted with a huge ovation.
However, like several of her fellow competitors, the American superstar suffered a fall mid-routine.
Biles returned to the beam and recovered with an emphatic full twisting double back to dismount but, after a long wait with judges in deep discussion, it was ruled not to be enough with a score of 13.100.
Five-time Olympic medallist Rebeca Andrade watched with interest as her rival missed out on the medal places. However, her routine proved to be too safe and she also failed to land a place on the podium with 13.933.
