PARIS — An unexpectedly quiet atmosphere in the arena may have contributed to a challenging balance beam final for Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, and several other competitors at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday.
During the event held at Bercy Arena, Biles, Lee, Brazil’s Julia Soares, and Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea all experienced falls during their routines. The absence of background music, coupled with spectators hushedly urging one another to remain silent, intensified the pressure on the athletes. Italy’s Alice D’Amato, on the other hand, managed to secure gold with only minor wobbles.
Biles expressed her discomfort with the situation, finishing fifth behind Lee. “It was really weird and awkward,” she remarked. “We’ve asked several times if we can have some music or some background noise. I’m not really sure what happened there, but yeah, not our favorite. None of us liked it.”
The decision to silence music during individual event finals was outlined as part of the sport presentation plan for the Paris 2024 games, according to Meike Behrensen, a senior communications manager for the International Gymnastics Federation.
Typically, events feature a constant roar of crowd noise, providing athletes with a familiar atmosphere akin to their home training environments. Music had been played during qualifications, team finals, and all-around finals for both men and women throughout the Games.
This ambiance shifted dramatically during the individual event finals, where the music was turned off, making the silence especially pronounced on the balance beam—a narrow, elevated piece of wood that demands extreme focus.
While some audience members, including NFL star Tom Brady, offered encouragement, a significant number advised others to keep quiet, resulting in an atmosphere reminiscent of a golf tournament rather than a gymnastics competition.
Both Lee and Biles acknowledged the heightened tension, having slipped near the end of their routines. “The pressure was definitely on,” Lee said. “I don’t know if you could tell, but a lot of people were definitely feeling it. I think it was the crowd but also just knowing that we’re so close to being done and just adding that extra stress of wanting to end it off the right way.”
The 21-year-old Olympic medalist humorously wondered if the photographers nearby could hear her breathing, adding to her stress. “It adds to the pressure, just because it’s like you, yes, you’re the only one up there,” Lee noted. “So I was feeling the pressure.”