Simone Biles falls off beam then picks herself up to land floor silver medal at Paris 2024

Simone Biles recovered after slipping during a “weird and awkward” beam final to add a commendable floor silver to her glittering medal haul at the Paris Olympics.

In extraordinary, error-strewn scenes that played out in front of a chattering crowd, the slippery beam took out half of the eight competitors – including Biles herself.

Biles, who had already won team, all-around and vault titles, looked a strong contender for gold after two of her main challengers – teammate Sunisa Lee and China’s Zhou Yaqin – slipped during their routines following shaky starts. Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea was particularly haunted by the greasy apparatus, slipping twice during her display.

“Beam final is always the most stressful,” said Biles, who lost her footing after a double layout before producing a flawless dismount, to finish fifth.

“Usually we have music or background noise, or whatever that may be. Honestly, we do better in environments when there’s noise going on because it feels most like practice. Today we could hear some of those Android ringtones going off, the photo flickers.

“Then people start cheering and the shushing gets louder. It was really weird and awkward. We’ve asked several times if we can have some music or background noise. I’m not really sure what happened there. None of us liked it. Yeah, it was an odd beam final.”

The Biles redemption tour is nevertheless complete. In the end, one final gold medal proved elusive for the most decorated gymnast of all time at her comeback Olympics, where her performances have been underpinned by one emotion: pride.

On a day when her aura of invincibility slipped – quite literally – Biles showed the world she was human, albeit a happy one. After the tears of Tokyo – where she withdrew from multiple finals after experiencing the ‘twisties’ and sparked a global conversation about mental health – here she was, adding a silver medal to her glittering haul of three golds that had already claimed in the French capital.

She might not have achieved total perfection in Paris but it was near enough, as Biles put the disappointment of a fifth-place finish in a chaotic beam final behind her to grace the podium behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

Despite defying the laws of gravity by achieving huge mesmeric height on her tumbles, Biles fell short by her own impeccable high standards in a showstopping floor routine that yielded more risk than rewards. It meant her score of 14.133 – which included a penalty of 0.6 – dashed her hopes of a fourth gold medal and was not enough to upstage Andrade, who had scored 14.166 for a competent and clean routine to claim her first Olympic title on the floor.

Ever the classy competitor, Biles was gracious enough after settling for silver, as she and bronze medallist Jordan Chiles bowed to the Brazilian on the podium in one of the heartwarming scenes of the Games.

“I’ve accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics but in this sport, so I can’t be mad at my performances,” said Biles. “A couple of years ago I didn’t think I’d be back here at an Olympic Games so competing and then walking away with four medals, I’m not mad about it. I’m very proud of myself and it’s always so exciting to compete.”

On her decision to serenade Andrade on the podium, she said: “It was an all-black podium, which is super exciting for us,” said Biles. “Jordan was like, shall we bow to her? And I was like, absolutely. It was just the right thing to do.”

Biles had been hoping to become tied with USA swimmer Katie Ledecky and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most Olympic medals won by a female athlete. At 27, she may still have time to achieve such a feat and crystallise her legendary legacy. But she will have to wait.

Afterwards, in her press conference, Biles drew the curtain on her comeback Olympics with one final, rousing message. “Putting your mental health first and taking time for yourself, whether you’re in sport or not, it creates longevity,” she said. “In sport specifically, but also just a better, healthier lifestyle.” Such words, you sense, are worth their weight in gold.

Gymnastics final day: As it happened

02:51 PM BST

Andrade no. 1

Throughout their fierce rivalry, Biles has always been full of praise for Rebecca Andrade, she knows more than anyone that this podium is thoroughly deserved, hence the sporting photo below.

02:49 PM BST

Smiles for Biles

This silver is her fourth medal in Paris, 11th overall, she’s still happy, although primarily for Chiles who earns her first Olympic medal. The wholesome scenes continue with Andrade’s ear-to-ear grin glued to her face, this her second Olympic gold medal at age 25.

02:42 PM BST

Final table post-inquiry

Drama! Maneca-Voinea wasn’t the only to inquire, USA’s Jordan CHiles does and does so successfully! She’s in tears as her score is upgraded to 13.766, that’s enough for bronze and a double US podium! Spare a thought for Barbosu, who drops from the podium.

1. Gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Silver: Simone Biles, USA - 14.133

3. Bronze: Jordan Chiles, USA - 13.666

4. Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

5. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, Romania - 13.700 - inquiry

6. Alice D’Amato, Italy - 13.600

7. Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

8. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

9. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:39 PM BST

Biles’ silver winning routine

Those tumbles are scarcely believable but the out of bounds landings are costly. This is greatness nonetheless...

02:38 PM BST

The final table

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Simone Biles, USA - 14.133

3. Provisional bronze: Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

4. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, Romania - 13.700 - inquiry

5. Jordan Chiles, USA - 13.666

6. Alice D’Amato, Italy - 13.600

7. Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

8. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

9. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:36 PM BST

Biles takes silver!!

Chiles is scored 13.666 to give her a fifth placed finish, Andrade is the winner and Barbosu is in tears in third!

Although nothing is confirmed for Biles and Barbosu as Maneca-Voinea is inquiring about her difficulty rating!

It certainly won’t trouble Rebecca Andrade and she is deserved winner - she has lived her competitive life in the shadow of the greatest, but now is her time in the spotlight!

02:32 PM BST

Chiles finishes gymnastics at Paris 2024...

... to rapturous applause, it’s a magnificent routine with some small tumbles on her tumbles and plenty artistic prowess.

She qualified third highest, but Bile’s doesn’t “know if it’s enough” to dethrone Andrade...

02:29 PM BST

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea follows

The Romanian also looking to make amends for her beam fall, she nails her routine, Biles’ silver in danger, Maneca-Voinea’s difficulty rating second only to the American.

Or not... Biles and Borbosu stay put as Maneca-Voinea records a 13.700 to put her in fourth. Jordan Chiles next, she’s a genuine threat to Biles’ silver, but being the last to go Biles is guaranteed an 11th Olympic medal...

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Simone Biles, USA - 14.133

3. Provisional bronze: Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

4. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, Romania - 13.700

5. Alice D’Amato, Italy - 13.600

6. Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

7. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

8. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:26 PM BST

Updated table

It leaves Biles’ greatest rival in pole position...

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Simone Biles, USA - 14.133

3. Provisional bronze: Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

4. Alice D’Amato, Italy - 13.600

5. Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

6. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

7. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:24 PM BST

Simone Biles second!!

An excellent first tumble followed by an out of bounds landing in the second, but she absolutely nails the third, smiling as she does so. Another step out of bounds on her last, landing there despite planting solidly. Andrade smiles and applauds, that seemed like a gold medal routine, her difficulty rating is in a different league to even Andrade’s.

As she untapes her legs she doesn’t look too pleased, although much happier than the face that left the arena following her beam fall. Both flawless tumbles were the ‘Biles’ and ‘Biles II’, the second of which holds a maximum difficulty rating.

She looks nervous... and it’s second!! 14.133, second place, those out of bounds deductions are costly! Two more routines to go!

02:18 PM BST

Alice D’Amato now...

The newly crowned beam Oloympic champion steps up. She’s Italy’s first ever female gymnastics champion, it’s really impressive that physically and emotionally she is able to find the levels to compete in another final.

Small step out of bounds and some small stumbles on some landings, so she won’t challenge Andrade - it’s a 13.600, so sits on a bronze with three to go, including one Simone Biles next...

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

3. Provisional bronze: Alice D’Amato, Italy - 13.600

4. Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

5. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

6. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:15 PM BST

Another fall - of sorts - as Andrade impresses

02:14 PM BST

Ana Barbosu next

Barbosu steps out of bounds on her first tumble but finishes strongly with her final one. It’s a medal contender with a 13.700, four to go...

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Ana Barbosu, Romania - 13.700

3. Provisional bronze: Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

4. Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

5. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:09 PM BST

Rina Kishi next

16-year-old Rina Kishi of Japan’s routine is performed to a techno beat and her performance is good but marred with regular minor errors, stepping out of bounds from one tumble. She’ll step onto a precarious provisional podium.

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Rina Kishi, Japan - 13.166

3. Provisional bronze: Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

4. Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:06 PM BST

Yushan Ou...

....Face the unenviable task of following Andrade, The Chinese gymnast pushes her difficulty and does so with a few small deductions, nothing major on the way to a 13.000.

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Yushan Ou, China - 13.000

3. Provisional bronze: Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

02:04 PM BST

“Big chance for Biles to put her beam woes behind her”

For the statistically inclined: There have been 13 falls and one major reduction across three events today, none of which came in the parallel bars - 11 athletes have hit the deck in total, one beam gymnast and two horizontal bar gymnasts falling twice.

02:01 PM BST

Andrade makes statement

Great performance from the Brazilian, nailing some landings in her big tumbles. Her routine has a lower difficulty than Biles, but is executed to a score of 8.266 from 10.000. This is a big statement, small room for error for the American now.

1. Provisional gold: Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 14.166

2. Provisional silver: Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

01:57 PM BST

Esposito aided by crowd

She stumbles on two tumbles to detract from a good artistry performance so it will be a below average score. The final tumble saw her go out of bounds.

Unlike the beam, the floor is performed to music, and the crowd clap along at points, a stark difference from the silence that disturbed Biles, and others’ performances earlier.

Nonetheless, a score of 12.133 surely won’t trouble the podium. Andrade up next...

1. Provisional gold: Manila Esposito, Italy - 12.133

01:52 PM BST

Onto Biles’ floor final

The camera takes us behind the scenes and Simone Biles’ face is missing its usual smile, she stands in front of new Olympic champion Alice D’Amato who was the gold-medal beneficiary of Biles’ fall earlier.

She is all smiles when she emerges into the arena, however. She’s overwhelming favourite with a qualification score of 15.600, 0.700 clear of nearest competitor Rebecca Andrade. The Brazilian is unlucky to be born in the same generation as the six-time World Champion in this event.

Balance beam bronze medallist Manila Esposito up first...

01:40 PM BST

Triple-champion

01:31 PM BST

Shinnosuke Oka wins third gold medal of the Games

An outstanding Olympics is capped off with a third gold medal for Oka, his difficulty was lower but he nailed the execution, learning astute lessons from the balance beam final beforehand. All-round, team, and now horizontal bar Olympic champion for the 20-year-old, as well as a bronze in the parallel bars earlier.

It’s silver for the 17-year-old Barajas, what a performance. There’s a real juxtaposition to the shared bronze medal reactions, Chinese Teipai’s Chia-Hung Tang in tears, Boheng Zhang gutted as his Olympics ends in a typically underwhelming fashion. This time he only has himself to blame, with the erroneous dismount costing him dearly.

It’s rare to see someone win a medal having fallen, but when 6/8 competitors fall, that’s bound to happen - the quirk of the shared bronze meaning two fallers will feature on the podium. It’s all a side note to a legendary Olympic performance from Oka.

1. Gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

4. Bronze: Boheng Zhang - 13.966

5. Weide Su, China - 13.433

6. Marious Georgiou, Cyprus - 13.333

7. Takaaki Sugino, Japan - 11.633

8. Tin Srbic, Croatia - 11.333

01:23 PM BST

Speaking of falls....

..Here’s China’s Weide Su, who you’ll remember fell twice in the team final to cost China a fall, and was left alone by his disconsolate team-mates despite stepping in as a late replacement.

And he falls again! Not as dramatically as in the team final, this time hitting his knees on the dismount as with Zhang and Georgiu, that’s a shame, everyone who saw the way he was deserted in the final would’ve liked to see a faultless routine there. 13.433, no medal.

01:20 PM BST

Another fall!!

A sixth fall, now seventh fall for this final, my word. 12 for the day alone! Tin Srbic of Croatia crashes off the first time, making a mistake on the one before and the horizontal bar is unforgiving. The other is a slow acceptance of defeat as he botches a spin. Barajas guaranteed a meda.

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Provisional bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

4. Provisional bronze: Boheng Zhang - 13.966

5. Marious Georgiou, Cyprus - 13.333

6. Takaaki Sugino, Japan - 11.633

7. Tin Srbic, Croatia - 11.333

01:17 PM BST

Boheng Zhang with a fall...

This is his last chance of gold at an underwhelming Games, he was favourite for this event, all-round and team gold but has settled for silver in both so far.

His routine had been solid but he stumbles on the dismount, his hands hit the floor so it counts as a fall! He qualified with a 15.133 which led the roster, a fourth fall so he could still win a medal...

A 13.966, he’s tied in difficulty and execution so is provisionally on the podium, but not where he wanted. Guaranteed medal for Oka.

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Provisional bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

4. Provisional bronze: Boheng Zhang - 13.966

5. Marious Georgiou, Cyprus - 13.333

6. Takaaki Sugino, Japan - 11.633

01:12 PM BST

Takaaki Sugino falls too!!

Japan’s Sugino qualified third best but was graspingggg, then off. A third fall in this final, an eighth in the last 13 routines in the Bercy Arena.

Make it a ninth, he hits the deck on his dismount. He’ll still go home with a team gold on his Olympic debut. Team-mate Oka looks gutted watching on, good team mentality - more on that soon.

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Provisional bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

4. Marious Georgiou, Cyprus - 13.333

5. Takaaki Sugino, Japan - 11.633

01:06 PM BST

Another fall... ish

Dejection on the face of Cyprus’ Marious Georgiou as he falls forward on the landing of his dismount after a superb routine. His despondency will only be so high because his routine had been so well-executed beforehand.

It’s a 13.333 for the Cypriot, he won’t win a medal.

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Provisional bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

4. Marious Georgiou, Cyprus - 13.333

01:03 PM BST

Angel Barajas next

17-year-old Angel Barajas of Columbia also avoids any major error in his routine, staying on the bar throughout, only needing a minor re-adjustment on his dismount...

It’s a 14.533 - lower execution score, so he’ll go into silver.

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Angel Barajas, Columbia - 14.533

3. Provisional bronze: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

12:59 PM BST

Shinnosuke Oka next...

Having just won a bronze in the parallel bars, Oka nails his routine and avoids a fall, grasping on by his fingertips at one point. The all-round individual and team gold medallist will register a competitive score of 14.533

1. Provisional gold: Shinnosuke Oka, Japan - 14.533

2. Provisional silver: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

12:55 PM BST

Chia-Hung Tang falls on first go

Honestly what is going on??? Second placed qualifier Tang is next to fall (!) in an otherwise high-quality and varied routine. Won’t write him off after the last event...

A 13.966, a very good score given his fall, and potentially competitive if more falls are to come.

1. Provisional gold: Chia-Hung Tang, Chinese Taipei - 13.966

12:50 PM BST

Onto the men’s horizontal bar final...

As mentioned with Andrade, this will be one of the more perculiar atmospheres the horizontal bar finalists will compete in - not least for the hush that overcomes the crowd each time an athlete performs that so clearly grated Simone Biles - but because they’ll be aware of what has just happened. Biles was always the centre piece of gymnastics at the Olympics, let alone its final day today, what has just happened is extraordinary.

12:45 PM BST

Unhappy departure

As you can see, Biles left the ring with her emotions cast across her face - it will be a true measure of her character to see how she returns in the floor final after the men’s horizontal bars, she has of course come back from worse though, and we all know what a bit of vengeance can do to an athlete’s mindset...

12:37 PM BST

Under the spotlight

It’s only natural for someone, even of Biles’ supreme talent and profile, to buckle under the pressure of an Olympic final - you saw that with the five competitors that suffered major reductions - but Biles is under a different level of scrutiny.

This photo doesn’t even do it justice. There were cameras lined across the entire width of the Bercy Arena, and more dotted around other parts, she really does transcend the sport.

12:32 PM BST

See Biles’ fall

There won’t be many who can recall Biles loooking as angry as this, and she leaves the arena quickly as Alice D’Amato wins gold from a seventh placed qualification! Five falls, one major reduction in the final. Italy had never won a medal in this event before, now they have two!

Part of Biles’ early departure will be owing to her floor final, scheduled for an hour’s time, but she will be gutted - think Djokovic’s gold yesterday, this was the last piece of the puzzle for her, it would have meant a lot.

You can see the fall below:

12:27 PM BST

Andrade shocked

In entirely unique circumstances, Andrade surely makes it a sixth medal... but no!!! It’s a 13.933 despite the celebrations from her dismount, two Italians on the podium! There are two medallists with major reductions, a final like no other, and the tears start flowing.

1. Gold: Alice D’Amato, Italy - 14.366

2. Silver: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

3. Bronze: Manila Esposito - 14.000

4. Rebecca Andrade, Brazil - 13.933

5. Simone Biles, USA - 13.100

6. Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

7. Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

8. Sabrina Maneca Voinea - 11.733

12:23 PM BST

“It’s a slippery beam”

12:22 PM BST

Andrade up last

And the silence continues for the Brazilian, small applause for each move. The five-time Olympic medallist won’t have performed in such a strange atmosphere before, the centre piece was a huge anti-climax...

12:21 PM BST

Biles falls, questions atmosphere, won’t medal

Her mount is full of confidence but she falls, the first time in a major final I think.

“Why are they shushing?” She asks repeatedly as she greets her coach. The crowd has been deathly silent for each routine, and it seems to be playing in the athletes’ heads, a fifth fall of the final. She looks very disgruntled as she waits for the judges’ score, which is taking its time, much more than any of the other scores. There is an absolute hoard of cameras behind her...

And it’s a 13.100, she won’t medal!!

1. Provisional gold: Alice D’Amato, Italy - 14.366

2. Provisional silver: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

3. Provisional bronze: Manila Esposito - 14.000

4. Simone Biles, USA - 13.100

5. Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

6. Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

7. Sabrina Maneca Voinea - 11.733

12:15 PM BST

Biles falls

What?!?

12:15 PM BST

Alice D’Amato of Italy now

A somersault, and a flip have slightly wobbly landings but she does extremely well to avoid a fall having watched what’s come before her.

And her dismount is perfect! Outstanding, no major reductions, this will be a medal, which colour?

It’s provisional gold, she guarantees herself a medal!! Reduced difficulty, high execution, and Lee and her compatriot Esposito falls off the podium, and Biles is next!

1. Provisional gold: Alice D’Amato, Italy - 14.366

2. Provisional silver: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

3. Provisional bronze: Manila Esposito - 14.000

4. Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

5. Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

6. Sabrina Maneca Voinea - 11.733

12:10 PM BST

Three to go now..

Yaqin Zhou just needs another mistake to guarantee an initially unlikely medal.

12:09 PM BST

Another fall!

A third fall, make it a fourth as Romania’s Sabrina Maneca Voinea, aged just 17, goes off the beam twice, she won’t score highly. She too is embraced by Biles who asks if she’s okay, gymnastics is particularly brutal for its athletes given their typically low age-profile.

The falls haven’t been anything particularly painful, aside from Lee’s perhaps, just a loss of balance on the 10cm beam and an acceptance of defeat to jump off before resuming the routine. Voinea’s falls both come from flips, so high difficulty, as is her well-executed dismount.

1. Provisional gold: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

2. Provisional silver: Manila Esposito - 14.000

3. Provisional bronze: Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

4. Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

5. Sabrina Maneca Voinea - 11.733

12:04 PM BST

Esposito wobbly but into second

Another unsteady routine, although this doesn’t have any major reductions, just many small ones for repeated wobbling.

She goes second with 14.00. When Zhou steadied her balance it seemed as though a medal favourite would finish off the podium but it seems a good score at the halfway mark now.

1. Provisional gold: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

2. Provisional silver: Manila Esposito - 14.000

3. Provisional bronze: Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

4. Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

12:01 PM BST

Door open for Biles

11:59 AM BST

And Julia Soares is off too!

Three routines, three big reductions, two falls - there will be medals on offer for some gymnasts who lower their difficulty here, although I doubt Biles will do that, history certainly suggests otherwise when she’s on form.

Brazil’s Soares finishes the routine but the dismount is unsteady. We saw floods of tears in the Trampoline final as gymnasts made mistakes, today they’re taking it well which is very impressive given a fall represents a difficult end to years of hard work. Italy’s 17-year-old Manila Esposito up next to buck the trend...

1. Provisional gold: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

2. Provisional silver: Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

3. Provisional bronze: Julia Soares, Brazil - 12.333

11:55 AM BST

Sunisa Lee falls!

What’s going on here? The Tokyo all round gold medallist goes for three consecutive flips but falls off the beam on the last - both feet had landed but her back foot slips and she falls, disaster!

She’s embraced by Simone Biles after finishing her routine shakily, but she’ll be bitterly disappointed, she came back from considerable injuries this Olympiad and was advised not to compete...

1. Provisional gold: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

2. Provisional silver: Sunisa Lee, USA - 13.100

11:50 AM BST

Zou goes first

And she makes a mistake early on in an otherwise solid routine, losing her balance and using her hands to steady herself which will incur a big points reduction.

She scores 14.100, 7.500 for execution! A disappointing score given she qualified highest with 14.866. Onto USA’s Sunisa Lee...

1. Provisional gold: Yaqin Zhou, China - 14.100

11:45 AM BST

Biles on now

...Or a in a bit given she’s seventh in the running order. The highest qualifier, China’s Yaqin Zhou, is first up, so she can lay down an early gauntlet. She’s immediately followed by Tokyo silver medallist, Sunisa Lee of USA.

The balance beam is one the events that truly highlights how superhuman Biles is. It was in qualifying during Tokyo 2020 that Biles suffered first from her ‘twisties’, an anxiety induced mental blocker that debilitates an athlete’s spatial awareness, but she still went on to win bronze with a score of 14.000. Despite still boasting considerable prowess in the unevan bars, the vault, balance beam, and floor are her domains - the beam is the one Olympic gold medal missing from her CV.

11:26 AM BST

Jingyuan Zou wins parallel bars

All round and team Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka is last to go and there’s a lot of excitement after his routine, but his routine scores 15.300 to land him a bronze, booting Boheng Zhang off the podium.

1. Gold: Jingyuan Zou, China - 16.200

2. Silver: Illia Kovtun, Ukraine - 15.500

3. Bronze: Shinnosuke Oka - 15.300

4. Boheng Zhang, China - 15.100

5. Ferhat Arican, Turkey - 15.100

6. Wataru Tanigawa, Japan - 14.133

7. Lukas Dauser, Germany - 13.700

8. Oleg Verniaiev, Ukraine - 13.300

11:18 AM BST

Jingyuan Zou smashes routine

The Tokyo gold medallist was overwhelming favourite and nails his routine, scoring a 16.2 out of a possible 16.9. Scores are made up of a rating from ten in execution, and a difficulty rating that is added on to create a maximum score possible from a routine.

Zou’s performance already has a higher difficulty rating than his competitors, and his routine is near faultless. Gold will be his barring a miracle.

Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun holds second place with 15.500, and China’s Boheng Zhang is in third on 15.1. Turkey’s Ferhat Arican is in fourth, also on 15.1, but his execution was lower so he misses out on a medal.

11:09 AM BST

“Packed to the rafters”

11:08 AM BST

Men’s parallel up first

We’re midway through today’s opening final, the men’s parallel bars, which precedes Biles’ first appearance of the day in the women’s balance beam.

We’re just about to see the favourite for the event, Jingyuan Zou, who qualified with a massive 16.200 which is 0.866 higher than anyone else. He’s sixth of eighth in the running order...

10:41 AM BST

In the presence of greatness

Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of this, the last day of artistic gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympics. There are four medals on offer today in the following order: men’s parallel bars, women’s balance beam, men’s horizontal bars, and women’s floor exercise, which does of course mean that there are two opportunities to see one of the Olympics’ biggest stars, Simone Biles.

There are no Britons on the qualifying lists for any of these events unfortunately, Joe Fraser the closest of any having qualified as second reserve for both men’s finals today. The events for which British athletes were more fancied have been and gone in a gripping week of Olympic gymnastics, Jake Jarman winning bronze on Saturday’s floor final, and Harry Hepworth taking the same medal in the men’s vault final yesterday, whilst British gymnastics icon Max Whitlock retired having finished in fourth in his favourite event, the pommel horse, on Saturday, missing a fourth consecutive medal by 0.1 points.

So, all eyes are on Biles, and why wouldn’t they been given we are in the presence of greatness. Today she will compete for Olympic titles eight and nine for her overall tally, and four and five in Paris alone as she bids to equal US swimmer Katie Ledecky and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina’s gold tallies and become, gold medal-wise, the joint-greatest female Olympian all time - legacy-wise she is already in that pantheon.

Her medal tally - standing at ten - means that her legacy is already secured but really the legend goes beyond that, as this article explains, with maximum difficulty skills name after her, prolific exploits outside the gym, and an unlikely recovery from a torrid time with the ‘twisties’ in Tokyo completed.

Today, the best is saved until last as she heads into the floor final as overwhelming favourite, having qualified with a score of 14.600 - the closest competitor, Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade, posting a 13.900 - and scoring a 15.066 on the floor on her way to the all-round gold.

She isn’t as overwhelming a favourite for her first event of the day, the balance beam. She qualified second with 14.733 behind China’s Yaqin Zhou who scored 14.866, although Biles ranked highest in the the discipline in the all-round final as both posted lower scores.