Just how difficult is the balance beam? Team USA's grueling routines

Olympic gymnasts have a propensity to make extraordinary feats look routine. Yet, a slim margin of error separates beauty from disaster.

Women's gymnastics consists of four events: the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The balance beam, exclusive to women's gymnastics, is one of the more daunting events to master. The beam is roughly 16 feet long and approximately four feet off the ground.

The balance beam requires a harmony of power, elegance and balance. To execute a flawless routine, gymnasts must generate torque, control inertia and bend gravity to their will.  

Each gymnast is given 90 seconds to perform a series of pirouettes, flips and splits on an apparatus just four inches wide. Gymnasts receive a score for difficulty and execution, and judges deduct points for any fall, pause or slightest wobble.

U.S. women's gymnastics team doesn't shy away from beam difficulty

The U.S. women's gymnastics team experienced a slight hiccup when Jordan Chiles fell off the beam during her mount, resulting in a significant deduction. While the rest of her routine was solid, the error could have been costly for the team's placement on the podium.

The Americans padded enough cushion on the vault and uneven bars to overcome the mistake, and her teammates helped cover the difference on the beam. 

Sunisa Lee scored 6.400 in difficulty on the beam, among the highest difficulty scores for the event. Lee has one of the most difficult beam routines among all gymnasts. She finished with an outstanding score of 14.600. Simone Biles scored 14.366 on the beam.

The U.S. women's gymnastics team was on a redemption tour at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. No strangers to adversity, each gymnast on the team has faced personal obstacles since they finished second in heartbreaking fashion at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Simone Biles temporarily stepped away from gymnastics after becoming disoriented in the air at the Tokyo Games. Jade Carey almost walked away from the sport after enduring injuries, while Sunisa Lee was nearly forced into retirement by two kidney diseases.

In Paris, they were undeniable. On their way to the gold medal, the U.S. team scored 171.296 points – nearly six more than Italy, who finished second with 165.494 points.