U.S. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Simone Biles withdrew early from competition on Tuesday, leaving the U.S. gymnastics team to settle for a silver medal.
According to a statement from USA Gymnastics, Biles withdrew due to a medical issue, NBC New York reported. The organization said she will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.
“Physically she is fine. But she is done for the night,” Biles’ coach wrote to NBC after the athlete’s surprise exit.
The United States entered the final event down by less than a point, but the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) took control in the floor routine, winning gold with a final total of 169.528. The United States finished behind Russia with a score of 166.096.
Biles had an uncharacteristically poor vault before her withdrawal, and she failed to stick the landing. She bailed out of her Amanar and only completed a 1.5 twist on a 2.5-twisting Yurchenko. She then took a big stumble backward on the landing.
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Suni Lee stepped up on the uneven bars and the balance beam. She posted a 15.400 on uneven bars, tying with Belgium’s Nina Derwael for the best score. She scored a 14.133 on balance beam, the second-best score for that competition.
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