Italy's D'Amato Wins Paris Balance Beam Gold, Biles Fifth After Fall

Italy's Alice D'Amato won balance beam gold as a fall doomed US gymnastics great Simone Biles's bid for a record five gold medals at the Paris Olympics on Monday

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2024) Italy's Alice D'Amato won balance beam gold as a fall doomed US gymnastics great Simone Biles's bid for a record five gold medals at the Paris Olympics on Monday.

Biles, who led the US women to team gold before claiming the all-around and vault titles, was among several finalists to fall off the unforgiving apparatus.

But the seven-time Olympic gold medallist still has a chance to take her overall tally to eight with a fourth Paris gold in floor exercise later Monday.

Meanwhile, D'Amato, with a score of 14.366, celebrated a first ever women's gymnastics gold for Italy, who also saw Manila Esposito take bronze behind China's Zhou Yuqin.

Just how treacherous the 10cm wide beam can be was clear when the first three starters made big mistakes.

China's world silver medallist Zhou lost her balance and had to touch the beam to avoid coming off.

American medal contender Sunisa Lee and Brazilian Julia Soares both fell, Lee taking a hard fall onto the wooden beam when her foot slipped at the end of what would have been an impressive aerial series.

Italy's Esposito had a big wobble, and Romania's Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fell twice.