An unusually quiet arena may have impacted the balance beam final for Simone Biles, Suni Lee and several other event finalists on Monday at the Paris Olympics. Inside Bercy Arena, where no music was played, and some fans hushed others for making noise, multiple athletes experienced uncharacteristic falls during their routines.
Biles, Lee, Brazil’s Julia Soares and Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea all faltered in their performances, while Italy’s Alice D’Amato barely wobbled on her way to secure the gold medal. The atmosphere in the arena was different from typical competitions, where background noise and music provide a constant auditory backdrop that helps gymnasts focus.
“It was really weird and awkward,” Biles, who finished fifth behind Lee, said, as reported by Will Graves of The Associated Press. “We’ve asked several times if we can have some music or some background noise. I’m not really sure what happened there, but yeah, not our favorite. None of us liked it.”
The International Gymnastics Federation’s senior communications manager, Meike Behrensen, said that the decision was “part of the sport presentation plan at Paris 2024.” Typically, a consistent level of noise exists during meets, serving as background noise that many athletes prefer.
Simone Biles, Suni Lee both falter in beam routines
Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee of the United States pose for a photo with their medals in the womenís gymnastics all-around during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena.
While some in the crowd, which included NFL great Tom Brady, offered vocal support during the routines, many others attempted to maintain silence, creating an atmosphere that was described as a golf tournament rather than an Olympic gymnastics final.
Lee, who also slipped during her acrobatic series, echoed Biles’ sentiments about the unusual atmosphere.
“The pressure was definitely on,” Lee said. “I don’t know if you could tell, but a lot of people were definitely feeling it. I think it was the crowd but also just knowing that we’re so close to being done and just adding that extra stress of wanting to end it off the right way.”
The 21-year-old six-time Olympic medalist even joked that she wondered if the photographers just a few feet away could hear her breathing.
“It adds to the stress, just because it’s like you, yes, you’re the only one up there,” Lee said. “So I was feeling the pressure.”
News
Indiana Fever Respond to Aces Loss with Strong Three-Word Warning
All eyes were on the WNBA world on Wednesday night with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark going up against A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, pitting…
VIDEO: Caitlin Clark Caused A Major Stir With Her Pregame Outfit That Showed Off More Leg Than We’ve Ever Seen From Her
Caitlin Clark was grabbing online attention with her pregame outfit well before she went to the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark was going all out ahead of Wednesday’s…
Caitlin Clark’s Complaints About WNBA Officiating After Fever-Aces Says It All
Following a hot start coming out of the Olympic break, the Indiana Fever have now lost two of their last three games after an 86-75 defeat against…
Calls For Christie Sides’ Dismissal Intensify After The Loss To The Aces: “She Needs To Be Fired; If Lisa Bluder Were The Coach, Indiana Fever Would Have Won.”
The Indiana Fever faced off against the reigning-champion Las Vegas Aces in a highly-anticipated WNBA matchup on Wednesday night. The Fever got off to a hot start…
WNBA Fans Irritated with Aces’ Kate Martin Decision Against Caitlin Clark, Fever
On Wednesday night, Caitlin Clark remained winless in the WNBA against her former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate Kate Martin as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever…
What Becky Hammon Just Said About Christie Sides & Caitlin Clark STUNNED WNBA Fans!
Becky Hammond’s Fiery Press Conference: A Deep Dive into the Third Quarter Drama The third quarter of the game turned into a whirlwind of emotions, culminating in…
End of content
No more pages to load