Dramatic Fall Costs Biles Olympic Medal, Triathletes Plunge Into Seine

A dramatic fall off the balance beam Monday cost US gymnastics legend Simone Biles a shot at her fourth gold at the Paris Olympics, which also saw triathletes plunge into the River Seine

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2024) A dramatic fall off the balance beam Monday cost US gymnastics legend Simone Biles a shot at her fourth gold at the Paris Olympics, which also saw triathletes plunge into the River Seine.

The day after US sprinter Noah Lyles blasted his way into the record books with the narrowest of wins in the men's 100m, all eyes were on Biles to see if she could write some history of her own.

Widely considered the greatest gymnast in history, Biles was bidding to add to her Paris haul of three golds in balance beam and floor finals at the Bercy Arena.

But she slipped off the beam while walking backwards in her routine, the unusual error gifting gold to Italy's Alice D'Amato.

A clearly furious Biles exited the arena to prepare for her floor exercise final, where she could win her fourth gold in Paris and eighth overall, after snatching four in Rio in 2016.

She famously fell victim to the debilitating mental block gymnasts call the "twisties" at the Tokyo Olympics but has bounced back emphatically to silence critics who slammed her as a quitter.