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Paris Olympics Day 10: Biles closes with 11th career medal: Floor exercise silver

PARIS — Simone Biles finished her final day at the Paris Olympics with more equipment for the greatest gymnast of her generation.

The woman who never thought she’d be here a few years ago will leave Paris – and probably her last Olympics – with three gold medals and a silver medal after finishing second on the floor exercise on Monday.

It was the first time Biles has failed to win the floor exercise at a major competition. She finished second to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. Third place went to American gymnast Jordan Chiles, who was demoted to bronze after U.S. coaches asked for a revision to the difficulty of her routine.

The review changed its score just enough that Biles, Andrade and Hmong-American Sunisa Lee were able to move up to the podium where three women of color posed together, four days after standing in the same spot after the overall score. Their collective success is emblematic of a sport that has become more diverse and inclusive at the highest level.

Before the floor exercise, Biles and Lee failed to medal on the balance beam. Both gymnasts made mistakes, leaving some wondering whether Paris organizers’ decision not to play music during the events had created an eerie silence that was distracting.

Biles is now an 11-time Olympic medalist and says she has no plans to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from day 10 of the Paris Olympics:

Simone Biles of the USA holds up her medals...

Simone Biles of the United States holds up her medals after the women’s artistic gymnastics individual apparatus final at the Bercy Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Monday, August 5, 2024. Source: AP/Charlie Riedel

US beach volleyball sees mixed results

The two U.S. teams competed on the sand at the Eiffel Tower Stadium. Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss lost to Canada in the women’s quarterfinals, while a few hours later, Chase Budinger and Miles Evans lost to Norway in the men’s event.

At the end of the day, only Miles Evans and Andy Benesh had advanced to the next round, joining the elite eight behind Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes.

Kloth and Nuss are ranked No. 2 in the world, and Nuss said he was “definitely a little heartbroken.”

Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes defeated Nuss and Kloth 21-19, 21-18 to lift the nation, which has won four of the last five women’s gold medals with just one team in the group, to the title.

American Jordan Chiles and... Simone Biles

Jordan Chiles of the United States and Simone Biles of the United States celebrate after the women’s artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at the Bercy Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Biles won the silver medal and Chiles won the bronze medal. Source: AP/Morry Gash

Budinger, a former NBA player, and Evans lost in straight sets to the Olympic champions Norway. Already in Paris, five-time Olympic champion and Rio de Janeiro gold medalist Laura Ludwig of Germany was eliminated and Herrera, 42, said she would retire.

Swimming in the Seine River

The Seine River was deemed safe enough for swimming and Olympic triathletes jumped into the murky water for a mixed relay event after organisers said bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels.

The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlon and marathon swimming races in the Seine River was an ambitious one, as swimming in the river, with some exceptions, has been banned since 1923 because it is too toxic.

Water quality tests were reviewed on Sunday night and the results showed that water quality at the triathlon venue had improved from previous hours and was within the limits set by the World Triathlon Federation as of Monday morning.

In a very close sprint finish, Team Germany won the gold medal in the team relay, with the United States taking silver and Britain securing the bronze medal.

The decision to allow the event to go ahead with swims on the Seine comes after the Belgian Olympic committee announced on Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon after one of its competitors fell ill while swimming in the river last week. Three more of the more than 100 triathletes competing in the men’s and women’s races last Wednesday fell ill in the following days, although it is unclear whether the water was the cause.

Spain reaches Olympic football final for second consecutive year

Juanlu Sanchez came off the bench to send Spain into a record-equalling fifth Olympic men’s football final. Sanchez scored in the 85th minute at the Stade de Marseille to secure a 2-1 win against Morocco and set up a final against France or Egypt.

Morocco finished the first half 1-0 ahead with a goal from the penalty spot in the 37th minute by tournament top scorer Soufiane Rahimi.

Spain equalised in the 65th minute after Fermin Lopez showed quickness in the penalty area to curl a low shot into the bottom corner with his left foot. It was the Barcelona midfielder’s fourth goal of the tournament and his over-the-top celebrations earned him a yellow card after he kicked the corner flag and snapped it in two.

Lopez’s pass set up the winning goal, which Sanchez sent into the far corner.

Spain, which won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, lost to Brazil in the final at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

British cyclists break women’s team sprint world record

The British trio of Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane broke the world record in the women’s team sprint, beating New Zealand in a fierce battle for gold in the opening track cycling programme.

In the three-lap race, the British trio fell behind Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews after the first 250m, but they quickly pulled ahead after the second lap, then overtook the last to finish in 45.196 seconds and win their country’s first medal at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

The Britons have repeatedly missed the podium since the event was first held in 2008, despite having a proud sprinting tradition.