Simone Biles wins bronze, ties record in balance beam final at Olympics

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Team USA's Simone Biles returned from her hiatus from Olympic competition in Tokyo on Tuesday and captured a bronze medal on the balance beam -- the final women's gymnastics event of the 2020 Summer Games.

The bronze pushed Biles' career total to seven Olympic medals and tied her with Shannon Miller for the most among U.S. gymnasts.

"Just to have one more opportunity to compete at the Olympics meant the world to me," Biles told reporters.

Biles also won a silver medal as part of the all-around team final, the first gymnastics event of the Games. She withdrew from that event after her first vault rotation and missed the next four competitions to address her mental health.

China's Guan Chenchen won gold in the beam final Tuesday at Ariake Gymnastics Centre with a score of 14.633. Chinese gymnast Tang Xijing claimed silver with a score of 14.233.

Biles received an ovation from the crowd of athletes in attendance when she stepped onto the mat. She posted a score of 14.000, with a difficulty of 6.100, the fourth-highest. She smiled and gave a hug to teammate Suni Lee, who won gold in the individual all-around last week, when she stepped to the sideline.

Tang and Biles were in first and second, respectively, until Chenchen went last and landed clean to claim gold and push her competitors down the podium. Lee placed fifth.

Biles said she was medically evaluated each day at the Games and had two sessions with a Team USA sports psychologist. She said Tuesday that she did not perform in other events because it would have "jeopardized [her] health and safety."

"I think the topic of mental health should be talked about a lot more with athletes because I know some of us are going through the same things and we're always told to push through it," Biles said.

"At the end of the day we are just entertainment, we are humans."

Biles, 24, won gold in the vault, all-around, team and floor competitions and bronze on beam at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Lee claimed gold, silver and bronze medals in Tokyo to finish with the most among U.S. gymnasts at the Games.