Simone Biles' Coach Responds to 'Harsh' Penalty Over Judge Salute Controversy

Simone Biles' final day in the Paris Olympics did not play out according to plan. The greatest American gymnast in Summer Games history secured her fourth medal in the 2024 Olympics after placing second in the floor exercise final, but hours before that, Biles failed to reach the podium after finishing a disappointing fifth in the balance beam final.

It was Alice D'Amato of Italy who bagged the gold medal with a final score of 14.366, while Biles (13.100) and American teammate Suni Lee (13.100), who both fell during their routines, had to settle for fifth and sixth, respectively.

Biles actually suffered a 0.3-point deduction after failing to end her routine the proper way. Per the International Gymnastics Federation’s Code of Points, participants are required to “present themselves in the proper manner (arm/s up) and thereby acknowledge the D1 Judge at the commencement of her exercise and to acknowledge the same judge at the conclusion of her exercise.”

Simply put, competitors must salute the judges at the end of their routines. While Biles did the same, she apparently did not hold her salute for a long enough time.

Biles' coach, Cecile Landi, confirmed to reporters after the vault final that Simone did get a penalty for her shortened salute. As reported by Athena Sobhan of People, Landi also indicated that she felt the penalty was “a little harsh, but at the end, it didn't matter. So no, we're not going to make a big deal out of it."

Even without the penalty, Biles would have finished with a score of 13.400, which would have still kept her at fifth. Italian gymnast Manila Esposito bagged the bronze medal with a final score of 14.000.

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