PARIS – Sometimes silence isn’t golden!
That was the case for Simone Biles in Paris Monday after a tough break during the balance beam finals.
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Both she and U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee fell off the beam. The pair ultimately tied for fourth place, but they were far from the only ones who struggled.
Four of the eight finalists slipped and either had to place their hands on the beam or ended up falling off.
There’s a lot of chatter online about what may have caused the girls to slip, but Simone Biles said the lack of background noise was a factor.
Biles said that she works better with background noise, which makes a high-pressure event feel more like a practice.
She said her team even reached out a few times about having some music play and called the quiet atmosphere “weird and awkward.”
Another point of contention is the equipment, specifically the ‘Gymnova’ beam that was used during the event.
Sean Golden is a coach at the Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, which has produced three Olympians, including Tomball’s Asher Hong, who just won a bronze medal with Team U.S.A. here in Paris.
Golden believes the beam, which isn’t used as much in the U.S., could have played a factor.
“The edges are a little bit more rounded on the Gymnova equipment. The American equipment is a little bit more squared off. So, a lot of times the girls feel like they have more surface to place their foot on.”
Golden added that oftentimes coaches will order the equipment being used during a major event ahead of time for athletes to practice on, but he isn’t sure if Lee and Biles had experience with the Gymnova beam prior to the Olympics.
Despite the disappointing beam final, Golden said he is so proud of Biles’ Olympic accomplishments, and said his own daughter is inspired watching Simone compete.
“At this point, whether she stays on or falls, she has made waves that will ripple through generations,” he said.