The balance beam wreaked havoc on Monday.
Not only did it American Simone Biles fell off the beam during her performance and lost out on a medal, the same fate befell teammate Suni Lee.
Like Biles, Lee’s fall cost her a chance to medal as the teammates finished tied for fifth Monday morning with a score of 13.100 in the eight-woman field.
Italy’s Alice D’Amato won the event with a score of 14.366, followed by China’s Yaqin Zhou and Italy’s Manila Esposito.
By not finishing in the top three, Lee is one medal behind Shannon Miller (seven) for the second most by an American gymnast.
Biles is the all-time Team USA leader with 10 medals.
“I’m so sorry about my radiation routine,” Lee said on the air afterwards. “But I gave it my all, so it’s okay.”
Lee, 21, entered the event looking for her fourth medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in what has been a short but distinguished Olympic career.
She had already taken gold in the team all-around and bronze in the individual all-around and uneven bars.
This was her last event in the Olympics.
Olympics in Paris 2024
Lee finished fifth on the balance beam in her first attempt at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and might have been in contention for a medal had she not fallen inside the Bercy Arena.
Immediately after Lee fell, Biles gave her squirming teammate a big hug.
Lee said the silence inside the arena during her performance may have actually hurt her.
“I feel like it was the pressure, the atmosphere,” Lee said. be really quiet when you get up there. I could literally hear myself breathing.”
Before Monday’s mishap, Lee said Sunday that she really enjoyed this Olympic experience.
“I can’t believe I have six medals,” Lee said Sunday after claiming a bronze in the uneven bars, according to ESPN. “This Olympics has definitely meant a lot more. I’m really trying to enjoy everything that comes with it.”