Men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics will conclude on Aug. 5 with the men's parallel bar final, the women’s balance beam final, the men’s high bar final and the women’s floor exercise final.
The day will get underway with the parallel bar final, where China’s Zou Jingyuan will look to defend his title from Tokyo. Jingyuan qualified first with a massive score of 16.200 — nearly a full point higher than the rest of his competitors — and is undoubtedly the favorite for gold in the final.
PARALLEL BARS QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Zou Jingyuan (China) - 16.200
2. Zhang Boheng (China) - 15.333
3. Shinnosuke Oka (Japan) - 15.300
4. Oleg Verniaiev (Ukraine) - 15.266
5. Lukas Dauser (Germany) - 15.166
6. Illia Kovtun (Ukraine) - 15.166
7. Arican Ferhat (Turkiye) - 15.033
8. Wataru Tanigawa (Japan) - 15.000
When Simone Biles is on the roster, many people automatically assume gold. However, the balance beam title is just about anybody's game.
China’s Zhou Yaqin, the reigning world silver medalist, finished the qualification round with the highest score, but not by much. Biles, the reigning world champion, finished just over a tenth below Yaqin and will be hungry for gold after winning bronze in Rio and Tokyo.
Suni Lee is also targeting gold and has been very vocal about her goal when talking to the media.
“Beam, I want to win this time around,” Lee said after taking bronze on the uneven bars the day before beam finals. “I feel like every single time I make it into a beam final I never really prove what I can do. So this time around I want to prove to myself that I can do it.”
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade could contend for a spot on the podium as well. Andrade qualified in third and only needs one more medal to surpass sailors Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael to become the most decorated Brazilian in Olympic history.
BALANCE BEAM QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Zhou Yaqin (China) - 14.866
2. Simone Biles (United States) - 14.733
3. Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) - 14.500
4. Suni Lee (United States) - 14.033
5. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (Romania) - 14.000
6. Manila Esposito (Italy) - 13.966
7. Alice D'Amato (Italy) - 13.866
8. Julia Soares (Brazil) - 13.800
The men’s gymnastics competition will conclude with the high bar final — where a new champion is guaranteed to be crowned after defending Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto did not advance to the final.
China’s Zhang Boheng notched the top score in qualifications and will be looking for gold in his final routine. Tang Chia-Hung could also contend to win Chinese Taipei's first gymnastics gold medal.
Takaaki Sugino, who helped the Japanese team win gold, has yet to win an individual medal in Paris but stands a good chance after finishing third in qualifications on the event.
HIGH BAR QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Zhang Boheng (China) - 15.133
2. Tang Chia-Hung (Chinese Taipei) - 14.933
3. Takaaki Sugino (Japan) - 14.733
4. Tin Srbic (Croatia) - 14.600
5. Shinnosuke Oka (Japan) - 14.533
6. Angel Barajas (Colombia) - 14.466
7. Su Weide (China) - 14.400
8. Marios Georgiou (Cyprus) - 14.366
There’s no better way to close out the gymnastics competition at the Paris Olympic Games.
A gold medalist on the floor exercise from 2016, Biles is favored to come away with the gold again. Her intended difficulty is at least a full point higher than her competitors, giving her a comfortable cushion.
Andrade is likely to end up on the podium as well, as long as she can control her landings — which is what took her out of medal contention on the event in Tokyo.
Jordan Chiles is a world medalist on the event from 2022 and has looked incredible on floor so far in Paris. If she wins a medal, it would be the third Olympic medal of her career and her first individual medal.
Sabrina Maneca-Voinea of Romania could be in the conversation as well, finishing just .066 behind Chiles in qualifications. Romania hasn’t won an Olympic medal on the event since 2012 when Catalina Ponor won silver.
FLOOR EXCERCISE QUALIFICATION RESULTS:
1. Simone Biles (United States) - 14.600
2. Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) - 13.900
3. Jordan Chiles (United States) - 13.866
4. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (Romania) - 13.800
5. Alice D'Amato (Italy) - 13.700
6. Ou Yushan (China) - 13.666
7. Manila Esposito (Italy) - 13.633
8. Rina Kishi (Japan) - 13.600
8. Ana Barbosu (Romania) - 13.600