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Simone Biles Wins Bronze in the Balance Beam Olympic Event

Simone Biles Wins Bronze in the Balance Beam Olympic Event

Simone Biles finished her Olympic run on a high note. The champion gymnast withdrew from most of her Olympic gymnastics events due to mental health issues. However, she competed in one last event final, the balance beam, and is taking home a bronze medal.

"It means more than all of the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here," Biles told Hoda Kotb of Today.

U.S.A. gymnastics announced Biles's plan to compete in beam just before the start of the floor exercise final, in which Biles did not participate. Biles, who is often called the "GOAT" (greatest of all time) in gymnastics, elected to skip the floor, uneven bars, and vault finals, along with the all-around competition.

“We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow — Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!” U.S.A. Gymnastics said in a statement, per the New York Times.

Last week, Biles competed in the team competition's qualifying round and part of the team finals. After performing the vault, Biles withdrew from the competition and her teammates finished the events as she watched from the sidelines. The American gymnastics team took home silver. Biles stayed out of the Olympic events since that vault up until today, and the other American gymnasts have been quite successful in the individual competitions. Suni Lee took home gold in the all-around competition and bronze in the uneven bars; MyKayla Skinner won silver in the vault; and Jade Carey earned gold on floor.

After Biles dropped out of her events, she explained her frustration at wanting to twist in the air, but being unable to do so, a phenomenon dubbed "the twisties."

“Literally can not tell up from down,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “It’s the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body.”

Due to "the twisties," it's unclear whether Biles will modify her beam routine to accommodate her current limitations. The gymnast previously competed on balance beam at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she earned a bronze medal in the event.

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