Simone Biles takes a dig at judges with a long salute during floor finals following big deduction in beam final at Paris Olympics

By Abhiruchi Rout

Modified Aug 05, 2024 16:58 GMT

Simone Biles took a dig at the judges with a long salute after executing her routine in the women’s floor exercise finals at the Paris Olympics. This came after she received a deduction in the finals of the women’s balance beam as the judges weren’t satisfied with her salute.

On August 5, 2024, Biles competed in the balance beam finals. During her routine, she fell off the beam, resulting in a deduction of points. Biles continued her performance, but the fall wasn't the only factor impacting her final score.

The judges in the balance beam finals were unimpressed with the 27-year-old's salute at the end of her routine, which led to an additional penalty of 0.300 points. Consequently, she scored 13.100 points instead of 13.400. Ultimately, Biles finished fifth in the finals, just short of a medal, tying with her teammate Suni Lee, who also encountered a fall during her performance.

In the floor exercise final, which was held about two hours later, Biles delivered a phenomenal routine. Following her performance, Biles garnered significant attention by extending her salute to the judges until she exited the podium. This prolonged gesture was widely perceived as a direct response to the earlier penalty imposed on her during the balance beam finals.

Here's a look at the video of the incident:

Notably, the deduction for her salute in the balance beam finals wouldn’t have altered the final results, as Biles would still have placed fifth. Rebeca Andrade, who finished in fourth place, scored 13.933 points. The event was eventually won by Alice D'Amato, who made history for Italy by winning the country's first gold medal in women’s gymnastics with 14.366 points.

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Simone Biles bounces back to take a silver medal in women’s floor exercise at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles from the USA performs on floor at the Paris Olympics 2024 (Photo by Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Simone Biles made a triumphant comeback in the women’s floor exercise competition after her earlier stumble on the balance beam. With a dazzling performance, she secured the silver medal, scoring a total of 14.133 points.

This silver-medal win marked Biles' fourth medal at this edition of the quadrennial event, adding to her previous golds in the individual all-around and vault, as well as her pivotal role in the U.S. team's gold. Her Olympic career now boasts an impressive tally of seven gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, solidifying her status as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history.