Simone Biles ended her Paris campaign with a silver medal. It was her 11th Olympic medal. Her routine included a perfectly ‘petty’ act aimed at judges. They had penalized her for feeling disrespected by the American gymnastics superstar. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade made history. She is the first gymnast to beat Biles in a floor final at a major international competition. At the same time, American Jordan Chiles secured bronze after a successful protest.
In the final moments, drama unfolded. Chiles, with a score of 13.666, benefited from a secret inquiry by her coaches. It boosted her score by 0.1, claiming third. Fans were eager to bet on favorites through sites like TonyBet NL. This event added to the excitement of an already intense competition.
As a result, Romania’s Ana Barbosu was forced off the podium. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, her teammate, fell to fifth place from fourth.
Biles, 27 and the greatest ever wasn’t at her best in a routine to music by pop icons Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
She won four gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault finals. She also got a surprise silver in her signature event.
Biles’s 11 medals (7 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) tie for the second most by a female gymnast in Olympic history. Only Vera Čáslavská has more.
The American fell in the beam final, finishing fifth. She missed a chance to win a fifth Paris medal.
Biles also wore a deduction when the judges ruled she had not saluted them after her routine.
She did try to salute, but it was relatively brief and perfunctory. The judges seemed to decide it was insufficient and took three-tenths off her score.
One fan wrote, “She held her salute until she left the podium—petty for petty!”
In reply to that post, Biles’ NFL star husband Jonathan Owens mocked the judges: “Making sure they don’t miss it this time!!!! I love you so much, baby. I’m so proud.”
Biles hit the mat hard during her floor warm-up. She had her left calf, which she tweaked in qualifying last week, re-wrapped before the final.
Her tumbling passes weren’t perfect. But, her difficulty is usually so high above everyone else’s that it hardly matters.
Not this time. Andrade won her second Olympic gold with a 7.833 execution score. It included 0.6 in deductions for stepping out of bounds.
Chiles and Biles showed their respect by bowing to Andrade on the podium.
“Why don’t we give her flowers?” Chiles said of the gesture.
“She’s not only given Simone her flowers but ours as well. Returning that kindness made it so special.” I felt like it was necessary.”
She burst into tears when she learned she would be on the podium.
The judges originally did not credit a skill in her routine called a Gogean, a split leap with a 1.5 turn.
Their score sheets are not public. The reason is usually insufficient rotation.
Chiles earned full credit for the leap, which secured a medal.
“I’m speechless, but so proud of myself. Losing my voice shows how much this means to me,” she said.
Appealing a score is risky, which often results in an even lower score than before.
The gymnast’s federation must pay a fee and promptly file the inquiry with the judges.
“Scores can go either way—they can improve or drop. I was the first to see because I was looking at the screen,” Chiles said.
Conclusion
Simone Biles’ time in Paris showed her strength and skill. It proved her lasting influence on gymnastics. Despite some drama and challenges, she won four more medals. This solidified her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Biles inspires, both on and off the mat. Her cheeky salute and camaraderie with teammates and competitors show this. Greatness is not about winning. It is about grace, determination, and celebrating the journey.
