At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the phenomenon of gymnasts slipping and falling has increased dramatically, caused by many unexpected factors such as competition equipment and competition atmosphere.

The 2024 Paris Olympics have seen an unusual phenomenon in gymnastics: the rate of athletes slipping or losing balance has increased dramatically. Specifically, out of 16 athletes competing in the men’s horizontal bar and women’s balance beam finals, up to 12 had accidents. This has caused much controversy and raised questions about the cause of this phenomenon.

One of the main reasons mentioned by the athletes was the overly quiet atmosphere at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena. Sunisa Lee, an American athlete of Laotian descent, shared: “We all felt tense in the competition room, because the audience was asked to keep quiet . “

Simone Biles, the US gymnastics star, also expressed her dissatisfaction: ” It was very weird and awkward. We asked for some more music or noise (but it was not allowed)”.
Athletes continue to fall in gymnastics at the 2024 Olympics. Photo: Global News.
Athletes are used to competing in noisy and vibrant environments. They even practice with music and background noise to simulate the atmosphere of competition. The unusual quiet in Paris left many athletes feeling confused and anxious, affecting their performance.

The French cheering culture, where spectators typically remain silent during the competition and only cheer after the contestant has finished performing, is also a surprising factor for many athletes. This difference from what they are used to can affect the athletes’ concentration and performance.

Another factor contributing to this situation is the use of new competition equipment. According to experts on the American television channel NBC, the gymnastics equipment for the 2024 Olympics was provided free of charge to the organizing committee by a Belgian company. However, this equipment has some differences compared to the familiar equipment of athletes.

As for the men’s horizontal bar, former world champion Beth Tweddle told the BBC that simply having the ropes too tight could make the bar stiffer, reducing its elasticity and increasing the risk of a fall. Tokyo Olympic runner-up Tim Srbic also noted that the bar was slightly softer than the equipment he trained on in the weeks leading up to the 2024 Games.
Sunisa Lee falls on the bars during the women’s balance beam final. Photo: AP.
In addition to objective factors, psychological pressure also plays an important role. Sunisa Lee admitted that she felt pressured because it was the last day of the women’s gymnastics events. The accumulated fatigue after many consecutive days of competition can also be a reason why athletes are more prone to making mistakes.

Another reason is that the way the finals are played adds to the pressure on the athletes. Only one athlete competes at a time, instead of multiple athletes competing in different parts of the arena like in previous rounds. This makes the athletes feel like all eyes are on them, adding to the psychological pressure.

Despite many difficulties and challenges, the artistic gymnastics event at the Paris 2024 Olympics took place successfully from July 27 to August 5. A total of 14 sets of medals were awarded during the competition. Notably, the US team performed exceptionally well, leading the medal table with an impressive record of three gold medals, one silver medal and six bronze medals.