USA's Simone Biles, Suni Lee Fail to Medal in Women's Balance Beam at 2024 Olympics

A place on the medal podium literally slipped away from Simone Biles and Suni Lee in the balance beam on Monday at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Biles finished in fifth after she landed awkwardly on the beam and lost her footing. Her stumble cost her dearly in her overall score (13.100) and left the door wide open for somebody else to claim gold.

The beam continued a strong Paris Games for Italy, which saw Alice D'Amato and Manila Esposito both medal after they contributed to their country's runner-up showing in the team all-around competition.

D'Amato staked out a special place in Italian gymnastics history.

---

Women's Balance Beam Medal Results

Gold: Alice D'Amato (Italy): 14.366

Silver: Zhou Yaqin (China), 14.100

Bronze: Manila Esposito (Italy), 14.000

---

Suni Lee, the other American in the event, also watched her medal hopes come crashing down when she fell off the beam during her routine. That she finished with a score of 13.100 and in sixth place was evidence of how strong performance was otherwise.

The 21-year-old still leaves Paris with a team gold and two individual bronzes.

Biles and Lee can at least take some comfort in knowing they weren't the only gymnasts who were unable to stay on the beam. The apparatus didn't seem to cause any issues earlier in the Games, but that wasn't the case in the final.

Artistic gymnastics draws to a close with the floor exercise. Biles and Jordan Chiles will represent Team USA, and for Biles, it could close the curtain on one of the most legendary careers the sport has ever seen.