RIO DE JANEIRO — It wasn’t the hue of the medal or falling short of some media-generated goal that disappointed Simone Biles. Though the results typically follow, the gymnast isn’t in the sport just to stand atop the podium.
No, the disappointment came from one missed skill in an otherwise beautiful routine. Biles didn’t live up to her own standard, one that has nothing to do with what she wears around her neck and everything with doing her gymnastics.
Biles claimed bronze in the balance beam final here at Rio Olympic Arena on Monday, taking third in an event she was favored to win after a mistake on a somersault almost brought her off the apparatus.
“The rest of the routine was still pretty good,” Biles said, “so I can’t be too disappointed in myself.”
Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands won gold with a score of 15.466, and American Laurie Hernandez took silver with a 15.333.
Biles, meanwhile, scored a 14.733 as the third gymnast up in the rotation and waited as she saw that score keep her on the podium.
“I see it as a triumph,” said Aimee Boorman, Biles’ longtime coach. “Besides that error, the rest of the routine was excellent. I can’t even critique it. Sometimes your feet slip.”
Biles was attempting a front tuck about halfway through her routine when her left foot landed on the edge of the beam. She wobbled and grabbed onto the beam to regain her balance.
“Simone is also a human being just like all of us,” said national team coordinator Martha Karolyi. “We try to say that she is a super human, but actually I think probably a little bit the pressure get to her or just mentally under the situation that you permanently have to focus and permanently have to be extremely sharp. Your brain maybe for a moment, it just gets tired.”
Biles’ routine – really, just the one skill – fell short of her own standard, and that’s the only thing she’ll compare it to.
The three-time defending world champion entered these Games amid talk of being the greatest of all time, something even her coach conceded as she helped the Americans to team gold here before winning the all-around title.
She added a vault gold on Sunday, and a record five golds were possible with her remaining events.
“It’s something that you guys shove into my head, and at 19, I can’t put that much stress on myself because I am only 19,” Biles said. “I think you guys want it more than I do because I just want to perform the routines that I practice.”
Biles has the floor final tomorrow in the last day of competition, and history is still out there. Should she medal, she’d be only the fourth American to win five medals in one Olympics. Mary Lou Retton did in 1984, Shannon Miller in 1992 and Nastia Liukin in 2008.
With a win on floor, Biles would join Ecaterina Szabo (1984), Vera Caslavska (1968) and Larisa Latynina (1956) as a four-time gold medalist.
As the three-time world champion on the event, she’ll be favored to win again. For Biles, she’s looking forward to doing her gymnastics on her favorite event.
“I think it’s a very good way to end it,” she said.
