August 3 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

By Joshua Berlinger, Aditi Sangal and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, August 4, 2021
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6:16 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

China's Guan Chenchen wins gold as Simone Biles takes bronze

From CNN's Aditi Sangal, Selina Wang and Coy Wire

Gold medalist Guan Chenchen of China, center, celebrates on the podium with silver medalist, Tang Xijing, also of China, left, and bronze medalist Simone Biles of the United States.
Gold medalist Guan Chenchen of China, center, celebrates on the podium with silver medalist, Tang Xijing, also of China, left, and bronze medalist Simone Biles of the United States. Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Chinese gymnast Guan Chenchen won gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics balance beam final, followed by China's Tang Xijing, while Simone Biles took the bronze.

This is Biles' seventh Olympic medal overall and her second bronze in balance beam.

The International Gymnastics Federation said Biles' set consisted of: "3/1 wolf turn. Front aerial, jumps. Back handspring to two layout stepouts. Switch to switch 1/2, pause, back pike. Side aerial. And two back handsprings to terrific double pike dismount."

Simone Biles waves after her bronze-winning performance on the balance beam on Tuesday.
Simone Biles waves after her bronze-winning performance on the balance beam on Tuesday. Ashley Landis/AP

As Biles was performing her beam routine, a man in the stands held up cardboard cutouts of the gymnast's dogs -- Lilo and Rambo.

Biles finished her routine with a standing ovation from the crowd. She displayed a confident return to form after previously having withdrawn from other artistic gymnastics event due to mental health concerns.

Guan scored 14.633 while her teammate Tang finished on 14.233, ahead of Biles' 14.000 points.

Guan Chenchen of China in action on the balance beam. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
Guan Chenchen of China in action on the balance beam. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

The win was particularly significant for Guan as the 16-year-old identifies Biles as her hero, according to her biography on the Games' website. Guan and Tang are both first-time Olympic medalists.

5:35 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Simone Biles cheered on... by her dogs

From CNN's Coy Wire at Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Scott Evans, host of Access Hollywood, displays cardboard cutouts of Simone Bile's dogs, during the women's balance beam final on Tuesday.
Scott Evans, host of Access Hollywood, displays cardboard cutouts of Simone Bile's dogs, during the women's balance beam final on Tuesday. Coy Wire/CNN

As Simone Biles was performing her beam routine, a man in the stands held up cardboard cutouts of the gymnast's dogs -- Lilo and Rambo.

That man is Scott Evans, host of Access Hollywood, and he told CNN: “We just want to show her some love!”

Evans waves the cutouts for Biles.
Evans waves the cutouts for Biles. Coy Wire/CNN

Biles' beloved pets even have their own Instagram page and the little reminder seemed to put a smile on her face.

5:31 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Sunisa Lee finishes her beam routine, out of medal contention

From CNN's Coy Wire and Selina Wang at Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Team USA's Sunisa Lee competes during the women's balance beam final on August 3.
Team USA's Sunisa Lee competes during the women's balance beam final on August 3. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

All-around Olympic champion Sunisa Lee was up next after Simone Biles.

Biles cheered, "Go on, Suni! You've got it!" as Lee stepped up onto the stage.

The 18-year-old almost fell but caught herself in a series of flips. She finished her routine as Team USA cheered for her, chanting her name.

She scored 13.866, with 6.4 in difficulty and 7.466 in execution.

Lee will not medal in the beam final as she currently sits outside the medal positions.

5:21 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Simone Biles finishes balance beam routine to standing ovation

From CNN's Coy Wire and Selina Wang at Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Simone Biles competes in the women's balance beam final on August 3.
Simone Biles competes in the women's balance beam final on August 3. Elsa/Getty Images

Simone Biles stepped up on stage with her coach as she prepared for her turn.

The American gymnast took some deep breathes as the crowd began to get excited. The eyes of the world were on the 24-year-old superstar.

She finished her routine with a standing ovation from the crowd.

Biles scored 14.00 points, with 6.1 in difficulty and 7.9 in execution, putting her into silver medal position behind China's Tang Xijing.

5:10 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Simone Biles greeted with warm applause as she prepares for beam final

From CNN's George Ramsay and Selina Wang at Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Simone Biles acknowledges the crowd, alongside teammate Sunisa Lee, prior to the women's balance beam final on August 3.
Simone Biles acknowledges the crowd, alongside teammate Sunisa Lee, prior to the women's balance beam final on August 3. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

As the gymnasts walked out into the arena, Sunisa Lee and Simone Biles were greeted by a round of applause from the US team members, who have assembled on the opposite side of the arena to the balance beam.

The pair also get the loudest cheer as the athletes were introduced to the crowd.

Biles is now waiting on the sides, marking through her routine. Canada’s Ellie Black -- the first gymnast up on the balance beam -- finishes her routine and is met by a hug and smile from Biles.

Biles will perform third.

5:01 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

The women's balance beam final is underway

From CNN's Coy Wire and George Ramsay at Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Members of the media are seen in the stands ahead of the women's balance beam final event.
Members of the media are seen in the stands ahead of the women's balance beam final event. Coy Wire/CNN

Eight athletes from around the world are competing in the women's balance beam final event, which features American superstar Simone Biles.

And the atmosphere is charged with anticipation.

While the event will host no fans amid the Covid-19 pandemic, you wouldn’t necessarily think it based on a glance around Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Centre. The media section, occupying one side of the venue, is full. Photographers are squeezed around the edge of the arena and team staff are watching on from one corner.

It looks like about a third of the available seating is occupied.

Compared to the women’s all-around competition here last week, it looks like there are about 10 times the number of journalists present today.

With the men’s parallel bars final drawing to a close, the gymnasts competing in the women’s balance beam final, including Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee for the United States, have entered the arena.

4:45 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Simone Biles' teammates are ready to cheer for their GOAT

From CNN's Amanda Sealy in Tokyo

Simone Biles warms up on the balance beam prior to Tuesday's final.
Simone Biles warms up on the balance beam prior to Tuesday's final. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Tokyo 2020 was already set to be an Olympics like no other, but for US gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum, stepping up when star Simone Biles withdrew from the team finals added another layer of pressure to their Games experience.

“I know we all just kind of felt really bad for Simone because we know how hard she worked to get here and all the extra years she put into this," McCallum told CNN’s Coy Wire.

"It was nice that she came over to us and was like, 'You know what, you got this, like, I believe in you guys, you can do this.' And so that was really reassuring. And I think that's what gave us a jumpstart to the rest of the meet,” McCallum said. 

Chiles, who was encouraged to get back into the sport by Biles, knew it was her time to shine.

“We knew we had to switch our flip, switch the light on basically like, 'Okay, look, guys, we have this, we know how to do it,'" Chiles told CNN.

"We've been working our butts off since we were little to be at this point. And we just had to do what we had to do."

The US went on to earn silver in the team finals, while other members of Team USA have also found success in the individual events -- Sunisa Lee won gold in the individual all-around as well as a bronze on bars, Jade Carey brought home gold in the floor exercise and MyKayla Skinner took silver on the vault.

Now, Biles is finally back for the balance beam final on Tuesday. 

“SO LOUD!” is exactly how Chiles and McCallum will cheer for Biles tonight. 

“She's truly an inspiration. She works so hard in the gym. She's always pushing us. She's always cheering us on. I mean, you really couldn't ask for a better role model. She's just an amazing person,” said McCallum.

“She's not a quitter at all,” said Chiles adding that, no matter what happens, she’ll still be the GOAT. “She'll still be Simone Biles. She’s still gonna be loved by all of America, she's gonna represent herself better than she did before.”

4:35 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Sunisa Lee is competing in the balance beam final — her favorite event — along with Simone Biles

Team USA's Sunisa Lee competes on balance beam during the Women's All-Around Final on July 29.
Team USA's Sunisa Lee competes on balance beam during the Women's All-Around Final on July 29. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Sunisa "Suni" Lee, the first Hmong American to compete in the Olympics, will be competing in Tuesday's balance beam final along with Simone Biles.

The 18-year-old gymnast from Saint Paul, Minnesota, said her favorite event to compete in is beam, according to her biography on Team USA's website

Together, Lee and Biles are up against six other gymnasts from Canada, China, Romania, Russian Olympic Committee and Brazil.

Lee won a stunning gold medal in the women's all-around title last Thursday, extending the USA's run of Olympic gold medals in the event to five.

Her historic performance also capped an immensely difficult journey, marred by injuries, losing an aunt and uncle to Covid-19, and grappling with a horrific accident that left her father paralyzed from the waist down.

4:36 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021

Simone Biles is set to compete in balance beam final — the last day of artistic gymnastics at the Games

Team USA's Simone Biles watches warm ups prior to the balance beam final on Tuesday.
Team USA's Simone Biles watches warm ups prior to the balance beam final on Tuesday. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Team USA gymnast Simone Biles is set to compete in Tuesday's balance beam final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The event starts at 5:50 p.m. Japan local time (4:50 a.m. ET.)

It is the last day of artistic gymnastics in Tokyo, making it the final opportunity for the 24-year-old to compete at the 2020 Games.

Biles — considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time — participated in the Olympic gymnastic qualifications on July 25, and then in the US's vault rotation in the women's team final on July 27 before withdrawing from competitive action, citing mental health concerns.

She will compete alongside Sunisa "Suni" Lee, who won a stunning gold medal in the women's all-around title.

Together, they're up against six other gymnasts from Canada, China, Romania, Russian Olympic Committee and Brazil.