Biles Nearly Falls, Settles For Bronze on Beam

Laurie Hernandez Wins Silver

Simone Biles missed a gold medal and had to settle for bronze after a costly stumble on the balance beam in the event final Monday. Teammate Laurie Hernandez won silver with a strong routine in her best event.

Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands followed Biles and seized the moment. She won gold with a poised, graceful routine.

Even after the final numbers came out, Wevers looked at the board with her hands clasped to her face in disbelief. On the podium, she smiled and shook her head ever so slightly. 

She had knocked off the champ, the first gymnast to beat Biles at anything in Rio.

Biles, who won the beam at the last two world championships, finished almost a full point ahead of Wevers at the 2015 worlds.

In Rio, Biles already has three gold medals from the team final, the all-around and the vault. That's the most gymnastics golds by an American woman in one Olympics.

Biles posted the highest score during qualifying when she put up a 15.633. But her near fall cost her a chance at five gold medals in five events. She will compete on the floor exercise along with Aly Raisman on Tuesday.

Sports Connection

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

Michael Porter Jr. defends brother amid NBA investigation for gambling allegations

Watch kids adorably fill out Sweet 16 bracket based on team mascots

Marine Boyer of France was fourth and Flavia Saraiva of Brazil went last, and had a bobble that dropped her down to fifth after a long wait for the score.

On the men's side, Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece won the Olympic gold medal in men's still rings.

The reigning world champion put together a precise routine, finishing with a stuck dismount to post a score of 16.000. Arthur Zanetti of Brazil captured silver, delighting the home crowd inside Rio Olympic Arena. The crowd repeatedly shushed itself during Zanetti's set then exploded when his score of 15.766 flashed.

Denis Abliazin of Russia earned bronze and then less than an hour later went on to win silver in men's vault. He earned bronze on still rings earlier Monday afternoon. 

Se Gwang Ri of North Korea picked up his country's second gold medal in Rio in the vault. His two-vault average of 15.691 was better than Abliazin's average of 15.516. 

Japan's Kenzo Shirai earned bronze in a tiebreaker over Romania's Marian Dragulescu. The two vaulters both averaged 15.449 for their two vaults, but Shirai was awarded the bronze because he had the highest score on a single vault. 

No Americans qualified for rings or vault finals.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us