It was not the ideal ending for the U.S. gymnastics team on Monday as their stars took part in the two final events of the Paris Olympics.
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles were able to add to their respective medal tallies after finishing second and third, respectively, in the floor final. The disappointment came, however, after the United States failed to take a place in the podium in the balance beam final earlier in the day.
There’s no denying that it was a tremendously successful Paris Olympics for the Americans. Nevertheless, given the lofty expectations, a medal-less balance beam final left a lot to be desired — especially considering the circumstances.
It was Biles and Suni Lee who competed in the final event of the balance beam apparatus on Monday. After finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, both stars called out the fans for shushing throughout the competition.
The intentions of the shushing supporters in the Bercy Arena remains unclear, but the fact of the matter is that it served as a major distraction for Biles and Lee, who both fell off the beam during their respective routines.
Jul 30, 2024; Paris, France; Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee of the United States during the women’s team final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
After the final, U.S. gymnastics coach Cecile Landi spoke out about these crucial mistakes as well as how the crowd may have affected their performances.
“I’ve competed in France a long time and it was the first time that I heard anybody shush,” said Landi, via Tom Schad of USA TODAY. “So it was really strange. I don’t know if they thought the athletes wanted it to be quiet. I can tell them now: No. They did not. They do not like it.”
It is also worth noting that Landi herself is from France so she definitely knows what she’s talking about here.
This is all water under the bridge now, though, and there’s nothing Landi, Biles, Lee, or the rest of the United States gymnastics team can do about it.
Biles still ended her campaign with three golds and one silver medal, while Lee bagged a gold and two bronze medals. It was not a bad Olympics for the Americans by any means.
