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Simone Biles’ seventh Olympic medal puts her into a tie with Shannon Miller as the most decorated US Olympic gymnast ever. It also matches the bronze she won on the balance beam at the Rio Games five years ago.
Additionally, Biles becomes the ninth gymnast of the Tokyo Games to win multiple medals.
Guan Chenchen of China, the top qualifier into today’s final, is the eighth and final gymnast to compete. An exquisite routine by the 16-year-old. A bit of hesitancy on some of the connections but the soaring difficulty ensures a huge number. This should certainly push Biles down to third and might be good enough for the gold. Waiting on the scores and …
… difficulty of 6.600 and execution of 8.033 for a total score of 14.633.
Flávia Saraiva of the Brazil is second to last. She grabs the beam early, then a balance check on a leap. Lots of small mistakes. It’s not going to be enough. Difficulty of 5.700 and execution of 7.433 for a total score of 13.133. Simone Biles can do no worse than a bronze medal.
The leaders with one left to compete:
1 CHN TANG Xijing 14.233
2 USA BILES Simone 14.000
Vladislava Urazova of the Russian Olympic Committee is sixth. A nervous set with no acro series. Other problems sprinkled throughout, giving a lot away. Major break on her side aerial. A deduction for missing a composition requirement. Biles is going to be in second with two gymnasts to go. Difficulty of 5.000 and execution of 7.733 for a total score of 12.733.
The leaders with two left to compete:
1 CHN TANG Xijing 14.233
2 USA BILES Simone 14.000
Urara Ashikawa, the last-minute replacement for Larisa Iordache, is fifth. She bails on her acro series in favor of three straight flics. That’s not going to be enough to get into the podium mix. Difficulty of 5.900 and execution of 7.833 for a total score of 13.833. Black is safe in the bronze medal position for now.
The leaders with three left to compete:
1 CHN TANG Xijing 14.233
2 USA BILES Simone 14.000
Sunisa Lee is fourth. She nearly falls on her acro series. A big wobble on the aerial loso loso. What a save! Also a side hop on the dismount. But the all-around champion fought through it. Difficulty of 6.400 and execution of 7.466 for a total score of 13.866. That’s the same score as Black, but the Canadian owns the execution score tiebreaker.
The leaders with four left to compete:
1 CHN TANG Xijing 14.233
2 USA BILES Simone 14.000
Simone Biles is third. And she hits! The confident routine of an athlete in full command. Broke the connection between the back pike and double pike off but sticks the BHS-BHS-double pike dismount. Remarkable after what she’s been through over the last week. The smile speaks volumes. Difficulty of 6.100 and execution of 7.900 for a total score of 14.000.
That puts Biles in silver medal position with five left to compete.
China’s Tang Xijing is second and she hits. Fluid movement throughout and hard to find any flaws in it. Difficulty of 6.000 and execution of 8.233 for a total score of 14.233.
Ellie Black, Canada’s greatest ever gymnast, is first. A clean routine with a high difficulty. A slight check on the full turn out of her double turn. She’s tearing up as she waits for the score. Difficulty of 6.200 and execution of 7.666 for a total score of 13.866.
The family of Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee are awake and watching back home in Minnesota. She is due to compete fourth when the competition starts any moment now, immediately following teammate Simone Biles. Our Joan Niesen and Sean Ingle have written about her incredible backstory.
It’s almost 4 am and some of @sunisalee_ family haven’t gone to sleep yet. They’re waiting for her final event, the beam. She’s competing with her teammate Simone Biles. #sunrisers pic.twitter.com/8V8oI4sfcR
Ninety-one women from 53 nations competed on the balance beam in last week’s qualifying. The top eight (with a limit of two per country) have advanced to today’s final. Larisa Iordache, the Romanian star who qualified fourth but who’s been dealing with an ankle injury, withdrew from the final. First reserve Urara Ashikawa of Japan will take her place.
Here’s the final start list:
China’s Zou Jingyuan is the Olympic champion in the men’s parallel bars with a score of 16.233. Germany’s Lukas Dauser earned silver (15.700) ahead of Turkey’s Ferhat Arican (15.633), who took bronze.
The women’s balance beam final will get under way in 15 minutes.
Biles emerged from the tunnel about an hour and a half ago for her pre-competition warmups. She walked out onto the floor in red sweatpants with a blue shirt alongside teammate and Olympic champion Sunisa Lee before taking the beam in a red, white and blue leotard that we haven’t seen before. She completed a crisp routine on the apparatus capped by a back handspring-back handspring-double pike dismount.
It is a well-known, terrifying and dangerous sensation for gymnasts.
Among many others, Aleah Finnegan, a gymnast on the USA national team, was prompted to speak about the subject on Twitter. “I’ve had the twisties since I was 11,” she wrote. “I cannot imagine the fear of having it happen to you during competition. They have very limited equipment and mats in Tokyo to help something like this get fixed let alone within a day. You have absolutely no control over your body and what it does.”
Related: Simone Biles’ twisties: mental block which puts gymnasts at serious risk
The men’s parallel bars final, starting now, is the first of three event finals during today’s final session of artistic gymnastics in Tokyo. The field includes top qualifiers Zou Jingyuan of China and Lukas Fraser of Germany as well as Team USA’s Sam Mikulak and Great Britain’s Joe Fraser.
The women’s balance beam final is second, followed by the men’s horizontal bar final.
I tried and hoped until the last moment for this Olympic final. Unfortunately, again, my way is hardened… this pain in my ankle that I feel is above my limit as a human being. (1/3)
I wanted to do it for me and for person who pushed me down this road, who unfortunately is no longer next to me and I can’t get a word of encouragement from… But I know I have my unconditional love of my family. I love you!❤️ (2/3)
This time I really thought it would be alright. But my road does not stop here, with this missed chance. For now I’ll take a break and I will start again when I’m fully prepared, both psychically and physically. And I thank you, those who hoped and encouraged me.(3/3)
Hello and welcome to Ariake Gymnastics Centre for today’s women’s balance beam final. There’s really no point of talking around the 4ft 8in, 105lb elephant in the room: today’s contest is all about the return of Simone Biles. The 19-time world champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist is returning to competition a little over a week after removing herself from the team final following one vault citing her mental health and the intense pressure she’s faced. She went on to withdraw from the all-around, individual floor, vault and uneven bars finals, casting serious doubt on whether her Tokyo Olympics were finished.
Then came Monday’s announcement: Biles is giving it a go.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at yesterday’s big news.
Related: Simone Biles to compete in balance beam final, USA Gymnastics says
