Simone Biles Describes ‘Weird’ Atmosphere and Crowd’s Impact on Olympic Beam Final Performance

In an Olympic balance beam final marked by uncharacteristic errors, Simone Biles and her fellow gymnasts faced an unexpected challenge: the crowd’s behavior. Held at the Bercy Arena, the event saw an awkward atmosphere that contributed to a series of mishaps among the competitors.

“The crowd was great except for the ‘shushing’ on the beam,” said Cecile Landi, Biles’ coach, reflecting on the unusual dynamic during the competition. Audience members, in an attempt to help, inadvertently created a tense environment by silencing the athletes and other spectators, hoping it would enhance the gymnasts’ focus.

After her routine, which included an uncharacteristic fall, Biles, visibly confused, turned to her teammate Sunisa Lee and asked, “Why are they shushing?” This sentiment was echoed in her post-competition comments. “It was really weird and awkward, not our favorite. None of us liked it,” she said. Biles finished fifth on the beam, despite qualifying in second place.

Contrary to what one might expect, gymnasts often thrive in noisy arenas, even on an apparatus as challenging as the beam. The familiar sounds of a bustling crowd can help recreate the environment of a typical practice session, aiding concentration. “Honestly, we do better in environments when there’s noise going on because it feels most like practice,” Biles explained.

The format of the apparatus finals, where only one gymnast performs at a time, inherently heightens the pressure. Every competitor is acutely aware that all eyes in the arena are on them. Lee, who also experienced a fall and finished sixth, shared her discomfort with the crowd’s behavior. “You could feel the tension in the room. I mean, the crowd shushing us for cheering like we were, we didn’t like that because it’s just so silent in there,” she said. “I love hearing my teammates cheer for me.”

To mitigate the silence, the gymnasts had proposed an alternative solution. “We’ve asked several times if we could have some music or some background noise, so I am not really sure what happened there,” Biles noted, indicating that their request was not fulfilled.

Despite the tension, some gymnasts found positive aspects in the situation. Bronze medalist Manila Esposito, who, along with her teammate and gold medalist Alice D’Amato, secured Italy’s first-ever Olympic balance beam medals, saw a silver lining. “There was a lot of silence in the gym and it was a little bit more stressful because of this, but it was nice because when we finished the exercise, it was even louder than usual,” she said.

The unusual atmosphere at the Bercy Arena highlighted the importance of the crowd’s role in gymnastics. While well-intentioned, the audience’s attempts to create a serene environment backfired, impacting the athletes’ performances. As the gymnasts move forward, this experience will likely inform future competitions and the management of crowd behavior to support optimal performance conditions.