While Simone Biles made history at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, becoming the first woman to win the all-around gymnastics gold at nonconsecutive Olympics, she likely won't appear in one event: uneven bars.
It’s the sixth Olympic gold medal for Biles, the most of any U.S. gymnast; she picked up her fifth in the team competition earlier in the week. While there's much more ahead for Biles in Paris, fans likely won't see her in one event.
The gymnast didn't qualify outright to compete in the individual uneven bars event this weekend, so she'll likely sit out. Biles qualified in ninth place, meaning she is considered a “reserve athlete."
Uneven bars has been considered Biles' weakest event.
On Thursday, Biles botched a transition on the uneven bars, and as a result lost an early lead in the all-around finals. She rebounded by pulling off a extremely difficult Yurchenko double pike vault, also known as Biles II.
“After the bars, when I saw the score come up I was like, ‘Thank God we did the double pike today,’ because I was not planning on it,” she said after the competition.
Biles, who earlier won gold in Paris alongside her Team USA "Golden Girls," submitted an original skill on the uneven bars to the FIG Women's Technical Committee for evaluation, according to NBC Olympics. (See her perform the skill here.)
Local
The skill is a variation of her routinely performed Weiler half, but includes a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Plenty of events featuring Biles and members of the U.S. squad are yet to come -- and another historic moment left to unfold.
There are still four more gymnastics events to see: the balance beam final, uneven bars final, vault final and floor exercise final.
Here’s when the gymnasts will compete next:
Women's gymnastics schedule: Vault final
Biles and Jade Carey both qualified for the vault final. Biles won the event at the 2016 Rio Games but pulled out of the final at the 2020 Tokyo Games after getting "the twisties" and did not get a chance to defend her title. Carey did compete in the 2020 Tokyo vault final, but missed the podium with two disappointing routines.
The women’s vault final will take place at 9:20 a.m. CT on Aug. 3 on NBC 5 and can be streamed live on Peacock.
Women's gymnastics schedule: Uneven bars final
Lee was the only American woman to qualify for the uneven bars final. Typically considered one of her best events, Lee is a medal contender. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, she took home the bronze medal in the event. Leading up to the Games, Lee said making the podium at the uneven bars final is one of her major goals.
Watch the uneven bar final at 8 a.m. CT on Aug. 4 on NBC 5 or stream it live on Peacock.
Women's gymnastics schedule: Balance beam final
Biles and Lee will find themselves in the same competition yet again in the balance beam final. The two have been trading off highest scoring beam routines throughout the 2024 season- and this competition is bound to be a nail-biter. Biles took home the bronze medal on the balance beam in both 2016 and 2020. Lee, on the other hand, has not yet medaled in an Olympic balance beam final.
The balance beam final begins at 5:36 a.m. CT on Aug. 5. Streaming begins on E! at 4:45 a.m. CT and at 8:30 a.m. on NBC 5.
Women's gymnastics schedule: Floor exercise final
The floor exercise final will be the last event of the women’s gymnastics competition this Olympics. Biles and Jordan Chiles have both qualified.
Biles won the floor exercise final at the 2016 Games, but had to pull out of the 2020 Games final, leaving room for Carey to take home gold. Carey missed the final in this year's Olympics after an uncharacteristic fall in qualifiers. It was later revealed she had been battling an illness during the Games.
After Carey's fall, Chiles scored high enough to clinch the second spot in the final. Chiles’ Beyonce-themed floor routine has been a consistent crowd pleaser throughout the Games so far.
Watch the floor exercise final at 7:20 a.m. CT on Aug. 5. Streaming begins on E! at 4:45 a.m. CT and at 8:30 a.m. on NBC 5.