Simone Biles and Suni Lee call out ‘awkward’ lack of music during balance beam final

Simone Biles and Suni Lee have reflected on their performances during the balance beam finals at the Olympics in Paris.

During the event on Monday, August 5, four of the gymnasts fell off the beam during their routines, including Biles, Lee, Brazil’s Julia Soares, and Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. Italy’s Alice D’Amato was able to take home the gold medal despite having one wobble during her own routine. But, according to both Biles and Lee, a factor in their falls might have been the lack of music or any other background noise.

“It was really weird and awkward,” Biles told the Associated Press following her fifth place finish. “We’ve asked several times if we can have some music, or some background noise. I’m not really sure what happened there, but yeah, not our favorite. None of us liked it.”

“The pressure was definitely on. I think it was the crowd but also just knowing that we’re so close to being done and just adding that extra stress of wanting to end it off the right way,” Lee said about her own experience performing the routine.

The 2020 Women’s Artistic Individual All-Around gold medalist joked that the Bercy Arena was so quiet that she had a fear of photographers being able to hear her breathing. “It adds to the stress, just because it’s like, you, yes, you’re the only one up there. So I was feeling the pressure,” she said.

Music was played during the qualifying, team finals, and all-around finals for both the men and women at the games with complete silence throughout the individual events.

International Gymnastics Federation senior communications manager Meike Behrensen told the AP this decision was “part of the sport presentation plan at Paris 2024.”

However, despite not earning a medal during the beam final, Biles did return for the floor exercise round, where she was able to earn a silver medal, losing to Brazilian Rebecca Andrade. Meanwhile, Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was able to earn the bronze medal after the coaches decided to inquire about her difficulty score.

Although this event was the first time Andrade was successful in beating Biles, she made sure to congratulate her opponent with both a high-five and a hug. Biles was even heard on camera speculating who may win gold just as the score was about to be announced. She said: “I think she got that one. I think Rebeca got this one. Oh, I’m scared.”

Biles ultimately scored 14.133, slightly less than Andrade’s 14.166, but enough to hand her the win.

When the three women stepped up to the podium for the medal ceremony, Biles and Chiles sweetly bowed down to the newly minted gold medalist on the Olympic platform. The wholesome moment prompted audiences everywhere to share their adoration for the display of sportsmanship and Team USA’s supportive attitude.

Biles continued to praise Andrade and how talented of a gymnast she is. “I have so much respect for her. She’s such a good competitor,” Biles said after the medal ceremony. “She keeps me on my toes. It’s an honor to get to compete with her.”