Women’s Gymnastics 2024 Olympic Beam Final Results: Falls Shake Up Podium
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 05: Gold medalist Alice D’Amato of Italy, Silver medalist Yaqin Zhou of China … [+]
EUROPA PRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES
There’s a reason why balance beam is considered the most difficult and mental event in women’s gymnastics, and that was clearly shown in the Olympic beam event finals on Monday. As the nerves got the best of the majority of the beam competitors inside Bercy Arena, only half of the eight hit their routines and the other half had falls off the beam, including Simone Biles and Suni Lee. Italy’s Alice D’Amato took the gold medal, China’s Zhou Yaqin got silver and Italy’s Manila Esposito grabbed the bronze.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 05: Sunisa Lee of Team United States prepares to compete during the Artistic … [+]
GETTY IMAGES
Heading into today’s final, there were three favorites to medal. China’s Yaqin led the way in the qualifications and has a 7.2 difficulty score when she gets credited with all of her connections. Biles was also favored after coming in second in qualifications and having a difficulty score of 6.4. And even though Lee came in fourth in qualifications, she was a favorite to medal because she made mistakes in the qualification round and is proven to put up big scores.
For the balance beam event finals, each gymnast performs a routine, and the difficulty and execution scores are combined for the overall score. The higher the difficulty, the better your chances are to medal. As for the execution score, the better form and landings — with no wobbles or steps — the better your execution score will be. The top eight gymnasts on beam from qualification compete for a chance at medaling.
MORE FOR YOU
Apple iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Release Date: New Report Reveals Extraordinary Strategy
‘The Boys’ Dethroned In Amazon Prime Video’s Top 10 List By A New Show
Will There Be A ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3? Here’s What To Know About The Next Chapter
By signing up, you agree to receive this newsletter, other updates about Forbes and its affiliates’ offerings, our Terms of Service (including resolving disputes on an individual basis via arbitration), and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Will It Be A Beam Battle Or Beam Woes?
Yaqin is up first and mounts with a switch leap, followed by a front handspring front tuck series, switch ring, and a side somi into a jump tuck full. On her straight jump with a full turn, she put her hands down on the beam, which will be a five-tenth deduction. She finished her routine with a difficult triple full and earns a 14.1. We’ll have to wait to see if it’s enough to medal.
Suni Lee mounts the beam next and starts with a triple wolf turn followed by a front aerial split jump back handspring, and switch leap to switch half to ring jump. On her side aerial to layout layout, she falls off the beam and lands on her stomach. She’s obviously shaken up when she gets back on the beam and wobbles on her switch ring before dismounting with a gainer pike full. Lee scores a 13.1.
Brazil’s Julia Soares competes third and starts with a double wolf turn and then performs a back handspring layout, front aerial split jump into back tuck, and switch leap. The beam mistakes continue to multiply as she falls off on her tour jete half and finishes with a double pike dismount. Soares scores a 12.333.
Esposito mounts with a difficult triple series of back handspring layout to back handspring followed by a front aerial side aerial with a big wobble. While everyone is looking nervous today, she dismounts with a stuck double pike and earns a 14.0 to jump into second.
Romania’s Sabrina Voinea starts her routine with a very difficult round off to layout full and falls off the beam for another gymnast with a one-point deduction. She falls off again, gets up and finishes the routine for an 11.733.
D’Amato mounts with a switch leap into front aerial to straddle jump to sissone jump, followed by a switch leap to switch ring, a back handspring to layout step out series, and dismounts with a 2.5 twist. She hits a strong routine to fire a 14.366, which guarantees her a medal after jumping into first. Biles and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil will be the last up to compete.
Alice D’amato of Italy competes during the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Balance Beam Final on Day 10 … [+]
DEFODI IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Biles mounts with switch leap, switch leap to split jump into a back pike, followed by a triple wolf turn, then a front aerial split jump straddle jump. She looks solid as she heads into her back handspring layout step out but balks on the second layout, and she falls off the beam. Biles finishes strong by sticking her dismount of a back handspring to back handspring two foot to full-in, but the disappointing beam day continues as she scores a 13.1.
Andrade ends the day on beam, where she could medal with a hit here. She performs her switch leap mount and then goes into a switch leap to switch half to split jump, which are all well executed. Next up is her series of back handspring to layout, then into a front aerial with a bit of a wobble there, followed by a solid switch ring, then a side aerial, ring jump and dismounts with a double pike. Andrade hits but comes up a little short with a 13.933 to just miss the bronze. It’s D’Amato with the gold, Yaqin with the silver and Esposito with the bronze.
Beam Final Results
Alice D’Amato: 14.366 – Gold
- Zhou Yaqin: 14.1 – Silver
- Manila Esposito: 14.0 – Bronze
- Rebeca Andrade: 13.933
- Simone Biles: 13.1
- Suni Lee: 13.1
- Julia Soares: 12.333
- Sabrina Voinea: 11.73
