You Have To See Simone Biles’ Medal-Worthy Return To The Tokyo Games
It was worth the wait.
Simone Biles took bronze during the balance beam in the event final at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, Aug. 3, marking her last performance at this year’s Summer Games. It was certainly an epic comeback for Biles, who pulled out of the team competition and three individual events a week earlier in order to focus on her mental health. This video of Simone Biles’ bronze beam performance will have you smiling.
Biles didn’t hold back during her balance beam performance on Tuesday, which had fans from all over the world buzzing on social media. The 24-year-old’s highly-anticipated return to the competition floor featured a slight deviation from her usual routine — she opted to skip the twists during her double-pike dismount — and she also had some shaky moments while performing, per the The New York Times. However, you can see in this video of Biles’ balance beam routine that is was still solid enough to score her a 14.0 and a bronze medal behind China’s Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing, who took home gold and silver, respectively.
Though Biles’ final score was unusually low for the all-star athlete, it was certainly still an accomplishment after facing mental health issues during the Summer Games. Biles shared that she was “proud” of herself to return to the competition floor after “what [she’s] been through,” per Reuters. “I wasn’t expecting to medal,” Biles said, according to The New York Times. “To have one more opportunity to be at the Olympics meant the world to me.”
Leading up to her bronze medal moment, Biles made the decision to pull out of the team competition and the individual vault, floor, and uneven bars to prioritize her mental health. “I didn’t want to go out there and do something dumb and get hurt and be negligent,” Biles said in a post-final press conference on July 27. “So, I knew for myself that I had to take a step back.”
By giving herself time to deal with her twisties, which she explained in an Instagram Story don’t affect her on beam, Biles was able to come back strong on Tuesday. Check out these videos of the GOAT taking on the balance beam on Tuesday:
Following her double pike dismount at the end of her performance, Biles was beaming from ear to ear — and you’ll be hard-pressed not smile as you watch the GOAT’s return to the competition.
As of publication on the morning of Aug. 3, NBC has yet to share the video of her full performance, but this podium training video of Biles before the event final shows the gymnast practicing her beam routine with moves like the double-pike dismount.
With a silver medal from the artistic team all-around event and a bronze medal from the balance beam final, Biles wrapped up the Tokyo Olympics with plenty to be proud of. You can watch Biles’ full performance again in primetime on Tuesday Aug. 3 on NBC.
