PARIS – United States gymnastics superstar Simone Biles capped off a redemptive campaign at the Paris Olympics with a silver medal in the floor exercise, overcoming a fall from the balance beam earlier in the day. Biles finished runner-up to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
Entering the final day of competition, Biles had the opportunity to set a record with five gold medals at a single Olympic Games. She had already led Team USA to gold, reclaimed the all-around title she first won at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and secured a third gold on Saturday with a stellar Yurchenko double pike vault in the vault competition.
However, two out-of-bounds errors in her final floor routine proved too costly for Biles to reach the top of the podium again. Andrade delivered an energetic and elegant routine, earning 14.166 points to clinch gold. Biles scored 14.133 for silver, while her teammate Jordan Chiles took bronze with 13.766.
Despite the setback, Biles received a standing ovation from her legion of fans, leaving the floor mat with both arms raised in acknowledgment.
Earlier on Monday, Biles experienced her first major hiccup of the Olympics with a fall from the beam, finishing fifth in that event. Alice D’Amato became the first Italian female gymnast to claim Olympic gold in the beam with a score of 14.366, while her teammate Manila Esposito took bronze, and China’s Zhou Yuqin secured silver.
Biles’s stumble ended her bid to join Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and US swimmer Katie Ledecky as the only women with nine Olympic golds. The 27-year-old remains with seven career Olympic golds.
While Biles hasn’t ruled out a return for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, her performance in Paris stands as a testament to her resilience and enduring legacy in the sport.
