Simone Biles Wins Bronze on Balance Beam in Her Return to Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles took part in her first and only event at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, which also [...]

By Brian Jones

Simone Biles took part in her first and only event at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, which also marked the final day of gymnastics event finals. The 24-year-old made her return to the games after withdrawing last week for mental health reasons by winning a bronze medal on the balance beam with a strong performance and a score of 14.000.

Biles also earned a bronze on the beam in the 2016 Rio Games. With her latest addition to her Olympic hardware collection, she ties Shannon Miller as the most decorated Olympian in American gymnastics history. While each gymnast has seven medals to her name, Biles has four golds and Miller has two.

Biles withdrew from multiple events at the Olympics due to her experiencing the "twisties." It started with the team finals last week and then pulled out of the all-around individual event followed by multiple individual events. On Friday, Biles went on her Instagram Story and said she was experiencing something where gymnasts feel like they get lost in the air and said her "mind and body are simply not in sync."

"Whenever you get in a high-stress situation, you kind of freak out," Biles said after withdrawing from the team finals last week. "I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being. It just sucks when you're fighting with your own head." Biles also appeared on the TODAY show and revealed she was dealing with a number of different emotions.

"Physically, I feel good, I'm in shape," she told Hoda Kotb exclusively on TODAY. "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see."

Biles, 24, has received a ton of support over the last week, especially from her boyfriend, Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens. "Imma ride with you through whatever baby," Owens wrote on Instagram, alongside a series of photos with Biles. "Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more every day SB. You always gone be my champ baby and don't you ever forget that, I love you so much and I can't wait till you come home and I get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I'm always here for you baby."

Biles had previously earned a medal in Tokyo, winning silver for being part of the Team USA who placed second in the team event. She has won seven medals in two Olympic games and has won a total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, making her the most decorated American gymnast. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Biles won four gold medals and one bronze, which was for the balance beam.

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