The stability beam competitors on Monday ended with one of many largest upsets of this 12 months’s Olympic Video games. With the favorites all struggling, Alice D’Amato was in a position to safe Italy’s first ever gymnastics gold medal.
The 21-year-old, who already received a silver within the staff competitors, completed with a rating of 14.366. Regardless of seemingly displaying some nerves early in her routine, D’Amato steadied herself and completed in model — completely dismounting to take the lead, and the eventual if fairly stunning victory.
Regardless of her routine incomes a comparatively modest 5.8 issue rating, D’Amato’s top-rated execution was sufficient to safe the highest spot on the rostrum. Zhou Yaqin from China received silver (14.100), with one other Italian, Manila Esposito (14.000), profitable bronze.
D’Amato carried out at a excessive degree, however she additionally benefitted from some wobbles elsewhere within the competitors. Neither Zhou nor co-favorite Simone Biles had been in a position to end their routines with out some main points, for instance.
Zhou had scored essentially the most factors within the qualifying spherical; her 14.866 would have earned her the win on Monday, and was a full level greater than what seventh-ranked D’Amato scored within the qualifiers (13.866). With gold probably on the road, nevertheless, she was pressured to place each fingers on the beam at one level to be able to keep away from falling.
That transfer might need made the distinction between gold and silver, although it helped stop Zhou from assembly the identical destiny as Biles. The American gymnastics famous person, in any case, did certainly hit the deck. Non-US viewers can watch the video right here. Right here’s one other have a look at Biles’ fall.
Biles’ fall was all it took to take away her from the race for a medal. Though she nonetheless earned a 6.2 issue rating, her 7.200 execution minus a 0.300 penalty was not sufficient to maintain her medal streak on the stability beam alive: after profitable bronze in each 2016 and 2021, she completed fifth — one spot forward of her American compatriot Suni Lee, who additionally fell.
Biles and Zhou failing to fulfill expectations was not the one drama on Monday. The scoring bulletins additionally took loads of time, with Biles specifically seeming irked by the delay following her flip.
