Simone Biles wins bronze medal in return to Olympic competition

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles returned to Olympic competition on Tuesday for the balance beam final, taking home bronze after withdrawing from five events over the past week.

Biles earned a score of 14.000 for her balance beam performance, finishing behind a pair of Chinese gymnastics, Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing, who won gold and silver, respectively. Guan posted a score of 14.633, and Tang received a score of 14.233.

The third-place finish earned Biles her seventh career Olympic medal, putting her in a tie with Shannon Miller for the most medals won by an American gymnast, according to The Associated Press.

Biles’s successful performance on the balance beam comes after she withdrew from several events in Tokyo over the past week, citing mental health concerns.

She stepped away from the team finals last week, and subsequently pulled herself from the all-around, uneven bars, floor exercise and vault finals.

Biles said she was facing an obstacle that is familiar to gymnasts, known as “the twisties,” which made it hard for her to pinpoint herself in the air.

USA Gymnastics announced on Monday that Biles would compete in the balance beam final the next day, which would be her last opportunity to compete in Tokyo.

Biles, after competing on Tuesday, said she “had nerves but I felt pretty good,” according to the AP.

USA Gymnastics celebrated Biles’s win, writing on Twitter: “Leading by example.”

Leading by example ✨

Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) closed the show with a
at the Balance Beam Final today! #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/rsIRIinvtp

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) August 3, 2021

Biles’s decision to withdraw from five events in Tokyo sparked a nationwide conversation about mental health, with many lauding the Olympian for prioritizing her mental health and setting an example for others.

U.S. gymnast Suni Lee took home gold in the coveted gymnastics all-around competition last week, continuing the United States’s winning streak for the event. The U.S. has won gold in the event since the 2004 Olympics.