Executive Summary
The 2024 Olympics stand as a seminal moment for women’s gymnastics. Simone Biles solidified her status as the greatest gymnast of all time, winning a second Olympic all-around title and adding three more medals to her Olympic tally, while a new generation of stars announced themselves on the sport’s global stage.
The Paris Games delivered historic firsts. Kaylia Nemour became Algeria’s first Olympic gymnastics champion with a commanding bars performance; Alice D'Amato captured the beam title, delivering Italy's first women’s individual Olympic gold; and Brazil, led by Rebeca Andrade, continued its rise as the primary challenger to American dominance across multiple events.
The competition also spotlighted the sport’s scoring architecture, where career-defining moments can hinge on hundredths of a point. The two-per-country rule excluded several medal-caliber athletes who would have otherwise advanced to all-around or event finals but finished behind two of their teammates. The floor final produced one of the most debated podium decisions in Olympic history after an inquiry raised Jordan Chiles’ difficulty score by 0.1, elevating her from fifth place to bronze. A successful Romanian appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport later restored the original standings almost two weeks after the medal ceremony. Combined, these dynamics framed Paris 2024 as a defining chapter in the Biles era and a starting point for the sport’s next chapter.
Qualifications
Qualification established the competitive hierarchy that would define the Games. Biles dominated with a commanding 59.566, the highest women's all-around score in Olympic qualification history. Andrade qualified second (57.700), while defending Olympic champion Sunisa Lee secured third (56.132) despite battling kidney disease that had nearly ended her career just two years prior.
The Olympic two-per-country advancement rule created several notable exclusions. Jordan Chiles qualified fourth overall (56.065) but couldn't advance to the all-around final with Biles and Lee ahead of her. The rule similarly prevented Italy's Elisa Iorio (13th), Japan's Mana Okamura (19th), and Brazil's Jade Barbosa (20th) from advancing to the 24-person all-around final despite qualifying ahead of several competitors who did advance.
Nemour showcased her uneven bars supremacy in qualification, posting a dominant 15.600, the highest bars score of the entire Olympics, with a massive 7.1 difficulty score. This performance signaled her readiness to challenge for gold while also revealing her strategic focus: bars excellence with adequate execution across other events.
Qualifications also featured personal drama for American Jade Carey. The reigning Olympic floor champion suffered a catastrophic fall on floor exercise, scoring 10.633 and eliminating herself from event final contention on her signature apparatus.
All-Around Final
The all-around final delivered the marquee showdown gymnastics fans had anticipated: Simone Biles versus Rebeca Andrade. Biles claimed gold with 59.131, holding off Andrade's valiant silver-medal performance (57.932). Lee earned bronze (56.465), completing a remarkable comeback story after kidney transplant discussions had threatened her career.
Biles' margin of victory, 1.199 points, represented a dominant but not insurmountable superiority. Andrade pushed the American legend throughout the competition, particularly on vault where her 15.100 nearly matched Biles' 15.766. The Brazilian's all-around consistency made her the only gymnast capable of genuinely challenging Biles when both competed cleanly.
Italy's Alice D'Amato finished fourth (56.333), just 0.132 behind Lee, demonstrating the depth of European gymnastics. Nemour placed fifth (55.899), her spectacular 15.533 on bars (the second-highest bars score of the Olympics) unable to fully compensate for more conservative difficulty and execution on other apparatus.
Canada's Ellie Black, competing in her fourth Olympics, finished sixth (54.799), while China's Qiu Qiyuan placed seventh (54.766). Germany's Helen Kevric rounded out the top eight (54.598).
Event Finals
Vault Final
Biles captured her second Olympic vault gold with a dominant 15.300, executing a Yurchenko double pike (Biles II) and Cheng vault that showcased both difficulty and amplitude. Andrade earned silver (14.966) with two powerful vaults, while American Jade Carey took bronze (14.466), partially redeeming her qualification floor disaster.
The two-per-country rule denied Jordan Chiles a vault final berth despite her fourth-place qualification (14.216). North Korea's An Chang Ok placed fourth in the final (14.216), while Bulgaria's Valentina Georgieva finished fifth (13.983). Canada placed both Ellie Black (sixth, 13.933) and Shallon Olsen (eighth, 13.366), highlighting their vaulting program strength.
Uneven Bars Final
Nemour's coronation as Olympic bars champion provided one of Paris 2024's defining moments. Her 15.700 represented the highest single apparatus score of the entire Olympics, featuring her eponymous G-rated skill (Nemour: in-bar to straight-body Tkatchev) with elegant amplitude and precise handstands. The performance established Algeria's first Olympic gymnastics gold medalist and announced a generational talent.
China's Qiu Qiyuan claimed silver (15.500) with an equally difficult routine (7.2 D-score), while Lee captured bronze (14.800). The final eliminated several contenders through the two-per-country rule: both Biles and Jordan Chiles qualified in the top 14 but didn't advance with Lee taking USA's second bars slot.
Belgium's Nina Derwael finished fourth (14.766), followed by Italy's Alice D'Amato (14.733), Germany's Helen Kevric (14.566), Britain's Rebecca Downie (13.633), and China's Yihan Zhang (12.800).
Balance Beam Final
The balance beam final produced one of the Olympics' most shocking results and historical firsts. Alice D'Amato captured gold (14.366), giving Italy their first individual Olympic gymnastics gold medal in women's competition. China's Yaqin Zhou took silver (14.100), while Manila Esposito earned bronze (14.000), making Italy the only country with two beam medalists.
Brazil's Rebeca Andrade placed fourth (13.933), agonizingly close to a third medal. The final's most dramatic moment occurred when both Biles and Lee fell, scoring identical 13.100s to tie for fifth. The defending Olympic beam champion (Lee) and the sport's greatest gymnast (Biles) both faltered under the immense pressure of Paris' Bercy Arena.
Brazil's Julia Soares finished seventh (12.333), while Romania's Sabrina Maneca-Voinea placed eighth (11.733) after a controversial deduction that later fueled floor exercise appeals.
The two-per-country rule prevented Jordan Chiles (qualified 15th) from competing despite several finalists scoring below her qualification mark.
Floor Exercise Final
The floor exercise final became the most controversial Olympic gymnastics competition in modern history. Rebeca Andrade initially won gold (14.166), showcasing Brazil's growing gymnastics prowess with a charismatic routine that brought the crowd to their feet. Biles claimed silver (14.133) after stepping out of bounds twice for a 0.6 deduction, errors that cost her a potential fourth Paris gold.
The controversy erupted over the bronze medal. Romania's Ana Barbosu initially finished third (13.700), celebrating what appeared to be her first Olympic medal. However, a successful American inquiry raised Jordan Chiles' difficulty score from 5.7 to 5.8, elevating her to third place (13.666) and dropping Barbosu to fourth. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea also scored 13.700 but placed fourth on the tiebreak (lower execution score).
Weeks later, Romania appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing the American inquiry had been submitted after the one-minute deadline. CAS ruled in Romania's favor, restoring the original scores and awarding bronze to Barbosu. The decision allowed Chiles to retain her medal while recognizing Barbosu's achievement. The ruling created an unprecedented situation where multiple athletes were recognized as bronze medalists, though official results ultimately credited Barbosu with third place.
Italy's Alice D'Amato finished sixth (13.600), Japan's Rina Kishi seventh (13.166), and China's Yushan Ou eighth (13.000). Manila Esposito placed ninth (12.133) after qualifying seventh.
The floor final exemplified both the beauty and brutality of Olympic gymnastics, where outcomes can hinge on hundredths of a point.