Star American gymnast Simone Biles won her second medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze in the women’s beam balance final. Biles finished with a score of 14.000, behind the Chinese duo of Guan Chenchen (14.633) and Tang Xijing (14.233). 

It was the 24-year-old’s first taste of Olympic action at the Tokyo Games since withdrawing from the women’s team final last week, a decision she said she made because of “twisties”, a condition which causes gymnasts to lose orientation mid-air. 

It was Biles’ seventh Olympic medal, equalling Shannon Miller’s record haul for an American in gymnastics. 

Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, entered the Ariake Gymnastics Centre to huge cheers from her teammates, with the a raucous cacaphony meeting the announcement, “And now, representing the United States….Simone Biles”. 

Biles wore a pensive look as she waited for her turn to mount the 10cm wide beam for her 90-second routine. She completed her performance without any twists, ending it with a double backward somersault, double pike dismount. 

She was second in the standings, behind Tang, until 16-year-old Guan put in a brilliant performance to take gold. Canada’s Ellie Black (13.866), US’ Sunisa Lee (13.866), Japan’s Urara Ashikawa (13.733) and Brazil’s Flavia Saraiva (12.733) rounded off the standings. 

Biles had previously withdrawn from the finals of the all-around, floor exercise, vault and asymmetric bars events. She is the reigning world champion on beam and won bronze in the event in Rio. 

International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach was one of the first to congratulate Biles on her bronze.