Biles fails to place in balance beam; Italy wins gold and bronze

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- American Simone Biles' goal of an Olympic gold medal in the balance beam came up short in Paris on Monday after she fell during her routine and finished fifth in the event.

Alice D'Amato of Italy captured the gold. -- the first top prize in any gymnastics event for her country's Olympic history. Zhou Yaquin of China won the silver and Manila Esposito of Italy won the silver.

Sini Lee of the United States, who also fell, finished sixths in the eight-gymnast field. This marked the first time since 2000 that Americans did not win a medal in the event.

When her score was announced, D'Amato broke into tears of joy.

Biles, who had set a goal of capturing the gold in the beam, still could push her overall medal total to 11 later in the day in Paris with a win in the floor exercise.

Lee, who also had a heartbreaking fall, had expressed a strong desire for the gold.

"I gave it my all," she told NBC after the event. "It's OK."

Asked how she wanted to celebrate her previous successes at the Paris Games, she said "I've been craving pho or some type of soup, but I can't find it."

Returning to her impression of the final, she added, "It was really silent when you get up there. I don't like that because it gives you too much time to think. .. It was too quiet. I could even hear myself breathing.".

Shawn Johnson (2008) and Shannon Miller (1996) are the only Americans who have won gold medals on the balance beam.

Biles will be among nine gymnasts to compete later in the floor exercise final at 8:23 a.m. EDT Monday. Team USA's Jordan Chiles also will compete in that event. Biles won gold on floor in 2016.

Team USA gymnasts, including Biles, won the last three floor exercise Olympic titles. Aly Raisman started that run in 2012. Jade Carey, who won the title in Tokyo, will not participate in Monday's competition.