Simone Biles wins Olympic bronze in balance beam finals, her last Tokyo competition
Simone Biles qualified for six events at the Tokyo Olympics, but she competed in just one, the individual balance beam finals on Tuesday. And she won the bronze medal with a score of 14.000, coming in behind Chinese gymnasts Guan Chenchen (gold) and Tang Xijing (silver). Biles, considered the greatest gymnast of all time, has now won seven Olympic medals, tying Shannon Miller's record as the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast.
Biles, 24, has previously dismounted from the beam with a double-twisting double backflip that bears her name, but on Tuesday she landed a double pike. She withdrew from the other individual events and the team competition to focus on her mental health after suffering from what gymnasts call "the twisties."
Biles won four gold medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal on the balance beam. Her teammates Suni Lee and Jade Carey took home gold medals in the individual all-around competition and floor routine, respectively, and MyKayla Skinner won silver for the individual vault competition. The U.S. women's gymnastics team won silver in the team competition. Lee also competed in the balance beam event but came in fifth.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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