Already a three-time gold medalist (all-around, team and vault) when she walked onto the floor on Monday, Biles was a favorite on beam as the reigning world champion. Biles won bronze, and her US teammate Laurie Hernandez won the silver. She’s coached by her father, and according to her bio, a balance beam move is named after her: the double spin with the other leg held horizontal, which she unveiled at the 2010 World Championships.
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The judges pondered over her score for several minutes and when it was confirmed, Biles rolled her eyes skywards as the mark was nearly a point lower than her qualifying effort of 15.633. The Netherlands’ Sanne Wevers won gold and Laurie Hernandez, Simone’s USA gymnastics teammate won silver. To get my own little medal is pretty big, I guess.
LONE RUSSIAN: The lone Russian track and field athlete at the Olympics has won her appeal to compete in Rio. Should she medal, she’d be only the fourth American to win five medals in one Olympics. Today, she competed in the womens’ finals in balance beam.
Rio’s Day 10 of competition featuring action in boxing, cycling, marathon swimming, wrestling, began with Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland winning the women’s hammer throw gold medal with a world record of 82.29 meters.
No, the disappointment came from one missed skill in an otherwise lovely routine.
“I’m not disappointed in the medal that I received because anyone would love to have a bronze at an Olympic Games”, Biles said. She rolled her eyes while waiting for her score of 14.733. “I think you guys want it more than I do because I just want to perform the routines that I’ve practiced”. She appeared to be totally in the zone, but then, when she went for a tuck jump halfway through her routine, her foot slipped on her landing. On Sunday, Justin Rose won the first golfing gold medal since 1904 in St. Louis when he beat Henrik Stenson by two strokes on the Olympic course.
“To be out there and do my best routine ever in such a big final was awesome”, Wevers said.
Sanne Wevers had an excellent routine and deservedly won her first Olympic gold medal.
“Yes, she is human”, Boorman said.
The top three faced an anxious wait in the auditorium as France’s fourth-placed Marine Boyer submitted an inquiry on her routine, but it was rejected to spare Biles’ blushes somewhat. “I can’t put that much stress on myself because I am only 19”.
“I think you guys want it more than I do”, Biles said matter of factly. She was the top qualifier with a huge 15.633 in qualifications. Not every Olympic routine can be rock solid, and Biles showed heart in earning her bronze, even if it wasn’t the color people expected.
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“I did a lot of numbers in training”, said Wevers, when she was asked if it was hard to perform the routine with all of its added complexity.
