RIO DE JANEIRO _ Simone Biles stayed on the balance beam _ barely _ grabbing it with both hands to stay on.
That mistake, and others during her routine, was enough to cost her a gold medal on Monday in Rio. Biles had been going for her fourth gold medal of Olympics after having won gold in the team event, the all-around final and the vault.
Winning was 24-year-old Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands with a big score, 15.466. Sixteen-year-old Laurie Hernandez of the U.S. took second with a polished and poised routine and Biles took the bronze. Hernandez scored 15.333 and Biles 14.733
Wevers, who went right after Biles, was always going to be a legitimate threat to win the event, having taken second to Biles on it at the World Championships last year.
Biles will have a chance at one more gold medal on Tuesday in her final event of the Games, the floor exercise. After she nearly fell off the beam, Biles had to wait through the routines of five more gymnasts, including Wevers, to see if she would make the podium.
