Simone Biles’ Coach Responds to ‘Harsh’ Penalty Over Judge Salute Controversy

Simone Biles’ final day in the Paris Olympics did not play out according to plan. The greatest American gymnast in Summer Games history secured her fourth medal in the 2024 Olympics after placing second in the floor exercise final, but hours before that, Biles failed to reach the podium after finishing a disappointing fifth in the balance beam final.
It was Alice D’Amato of Italy who bagged the gold medal with a final score of 14.366, while Biles (13.100) and American teammate Suni Lee (13.100), who both fell during their routines, had to settle for fifth and sixth, respectively
Biles’ coach, Cecile Landi, confirmed to reporters after the vault final that Simone did get a penalty for her shortened salute. As reported by Athena Sobhan of People, Landi also indicated that she felt the penalty was “a little harsh, but at the end, it didn’t matter. So no, we’re not going to make a big deal out of it.”
Even without the penalty, Biles would have finished with a score of 13.400, which would have still kept her at fifth. Italian gymnast Manila Esposito bagged the bronze medal with a final score of 14.000.