August 05, (THEWILL) – Simone Biles concluded her likely final Olympic performance with a silver medal in the floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Games. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade claimed gold with a score of 14.166, while Biles finished with 14.133.
Despite holding a significant advantage in difficulty, Biles faced challenges, stepping out of bounds twice and experiencing apparent discomfort in her back and left calf. The 27-year-old American celebrated Andrade’s victory and embraced teammate Jordan Chiles, who won bronze after a successful appeal adjusted her score. The packed Bercy Arena showed their appreciation for Biles with standing ovations and chants, recognising her contributions to gymnastics over the past decade.
This silver medal brings Biles’ total Olympic medal count to 11, tying her for second place with Czechoslovakia’s Vera Caslavska from the 1960s. The Soviet Union’s Larisa Latynina holds the record with 18 medals across three Olympics from 1956 to 1964, though the sport has become much more competitive since then.
Biles’ performance in Paris was affected by physical issues, including left calf soreness that required treatment throughout the Games. In the beam final earlier, she experienced a fall, showing rare signs of vulnerability in what was likely her Olympic swansong.
Despite the challenges, Biles remains the most decorated American gymnast in history, surpassing Shannon Miller’s seven medals. Her final Olympic appearance, while not resulting in gold, demonstrated her enduring impact on the sport and her ability to compete at the highest level even as the oldest American female gymnast to participate in the Olympics since the 1950s.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
