She's Still Dealing With The Twisties, But Simone Biles Wins Another Medal In Tokyo

By Merrit Kennedy

Published August 3, 2021 at 8:11 AM EDT

U.S. star Simone Biles looks relieved as she finishes the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's apparatus final on Tuesday at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

TOKYO — After pulling out of multiple events to focus on her mental health, U.S. star gymnast Simone Biles was back on the mat for Tuesday's balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics. She's walking away with a bronze medal.

China's Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing won gold and silver in the last Olympic event for women's artistic gymnastics.

Biles looked happy and relieved after dismounting the four-inch-wide beam, smiling and waving at the crowd to roaring applause in the nearly empty stadium.

Judges gave her a 14.000 score for a set that included a "wolf turn" and a double-pike dismount.

U.S. gymnast and all-around individual champion Sunisa Lee started her routine cleanly and saved herself from a near-fall in the final seconds, scoring a 13.866. She ended up placing fifth.

"I'm really proud of myself, I'm actually super happy with the way this turned out," Lee said. "I really love Simone and just having her by my side was super great because she is a role model to me."

Biles said last week that she was dealing with a dreaded and terrifying phenomenon know as the twisties. She withdrew from the team final shortly after a difficult first vault, and then pulled out of the individual all-around and the three other event finals.

She said the outpouring of support she received after her withdrawal from the team and all-around finals meant a lot to her. It "has made me realize I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before," she said last week.