Simone Biles made her Olympic return on Tuesday, winning bronze in the individual balance beam final.
On her routine, Biles scored a 14.000 â 7.900 execution and 6.100 difficulty â just behind Chinaâs duo of Guan Chenchen (14.633) and Tang Xijing (14.233).
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Her second medal of the Tokyo Olympics, Biles now has seven career medals, tied with Shannon Miller for the most in American womenâs gymnastics history. Itâs the second straight bronze on the balance beam for Biles.
The former member of Team USAâs âMagnificent Sevenâ shared her support for Biles on Instagram.
âAnd a huge congratulations to @simonebiles for an incredible performance during arguably the toughest event to end on,â Miller, 44, wrote.
Miller also praised Suni Lee for winning gold in the gymnastics all-around.Â
Olympic Sports
âCongratulations to All-Around gold medalist @sunisalee_ closing out an amazing performance over the last week,â Miller wrote.
Miller then went on to share her Olympic experiences and offer some words of wisdom going forward.Â
âI can tell you first hand that so many years of time and effort all culminate into a 30â90 second routineâŠand anything can happen during the Olympics. The lessons we learn through sport will serve us well in every area of our lives. Medal or not, just to become an Olympian is a tremendous accomplishment,â Miller wrote. âThis is not an ending but rather the next step along a wonderful and sometimes difficult journey called life. Relish these moments they will serve you well.â
Shannon Miller on Simone Bilesâ decision to withdraw from previous events
Biles previously withdrew from the team final, citing her mental health. Biles also did not compete in the womenâs individual all-around final.
Miller provided her perspective about Bilesâs decision to withdraw.
âWhat I think is really important here is, you have Simone, who clearly knew something wasnât quite right, and when you are flying and flipping and turning 10, 15 feet above the floor, looking for a landing, you better be in the right headspace or really bad things are going to happen,â Miller said in an interview on CNBCâs âThe News with Shepard Smith.â
Miller said that Biles is sending a critical message to the world.
âI think itâs so important for the message to be sent that it is important to be aware of your body, be aware of your emotional state and your mental state as well. I think thatâs a good message for all of us,â Miller said.
Other former Team USA gymnasts Kerri Strug and Dominique Dawes have also come out in support of Bilesâ decision.
Where is Shannon Miller now?
Shannon Miller received her undergraduate degrees from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College.
She remains involved with the sport of gymnastics and the Olympics as a commentator and analyst.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.