Simone Biles claims balance beam bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics ‘sweeter’ than Rio 2016

The American made her highly-anticipated return after pulling out of five other events to protect her mental health

Simone Biles claims her bronze medal in the balance beam at Tokyo 2020 is “sweeter” than her gold medal glory at Rio 2016.

Biles made her highly-anticipated return after pulling out of her five other events at Tokyo 2020 in order to protect her mental health.

And the Team USA star claimed bronze after adjusting her dismount with a double pike to avoid twisting, which caused her problems last week.

The bronze compliments her three world titles on the apparatus, with her total of 14.0 behind China's Chenchen Guan, who took gold and Tang Xijing, who won silver.

“I feels a little bit more sweeter for the bronze medal,” Biles told BBC Sport. “I had to go into training, change my dismount and pull out of my other finals as I wasn’t cleared to do them.

“I didn't think I would be clear to do beam. I was shaking, I was so nervous. It just means the world to me to come out here and compete one more time before these Games are over.

Simone Biles of Team United States poses with the bronze medal (Getty)

“On the other ones I couldn't physically twist in the air, I would keep crashing, I just wasn’t cleared safely to do those things. The mind is not there.

“But the beam I could safely do it and went into training and asked if I could change my beam dismount because if not I couldn’t do beam either. I feel like I’m still stuck on beam right now.

Silver medalist Xijing Tang of Team China, gold medalist Chenchen Guan of Team China and bronze medalist Simone Biles of Team United States (Getty)

“It’s definitely too early to think about anything. The next step right now is the Gold Over America Tour that we’re hosting in the United States.”