Her score of 14.733 was only good enough for bronze behind team mate Laurie Hernandez.
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Wevers, 24, overcame the nerves that seemed to hit several of the other eight gymnasts at the Rio Olympic Arena Tuesday, seizing the top spot after going fourth – and then waiting as the remaining gymnasts tried to better her score.
Biles came into the event with three golds in Rio already – the team event, the individual all around and the vault event. She almost fell after one flip, and had to bend down and hold onto the beam with her hands. Not even her high degree of difficulty could save her.
Allyson Felix, 30, is set to run the 400 meter finals today, representing Team USA. But after a strong start, she flubbed the landing on a simple acrobatic element and put her hands down to stop herself from falling off the beam ― which incurs a deduction equivalent to a fall. Her dismount was solid, although she took a small hop. She refused to be the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps and chose to be the first Simone Biles, instead.
Many have predicted that Biles will continue her winning streak and tie with teammate Michael Phelps for most gold medals of the Games.
As the two-time reigning world champion on beam, Biles has a history of staying steady under pressure-and strong nerves are perhaps just as important as high difficulty and flawless execution when it comes to the beam. Wevers scored a 15.466 to win on Monday. The 16-year-old has never performed at a major worldwide competition before, but has shown so far that she can handle the Olympic spotlight.
When Biles was waiting on her own score, she’d been taking deep breaths and looking thoughtful. Hernandez turned in a sparkling performance on Monday and scored a 15.333.
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In third was Flavia Saraiva, the 16-year-old Brazilian gymnast that has enchanted crowds with her charisma and powerful tumbling. “Her routine was smooth and poised, and she elevated off the beam to heights that seemed impossible for her small frame (she’s around 4’4”). She looked serious, but not nervous, as her coach Aimee Boorman gave her some last-minute instructions before her routine.
