By Corky Siemaszko and Saphora Smith - NBC News
American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles stood up to her fears on Tuesday and returned to competition, winning the bronze medal on the balance beam.
The athlete finished behind the Chinese Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing, who scored a score of 14,633 and 14,233 respectively, which gave them the gold and silver.
Biles got a mark of 14,000.
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Considered the best gymnast in the world, 24-year-old Biles moved smoothly and precisely in her exercise, hardly wobbling, and smiled effusively as she concluded her reception on the mat.
He greeted, blew a kiss to the photographers and the public, and hugged his teammates and rivals.
Biles now ties the record for Olympic medals won by an American gymnast, according to the team on Twitter.
Simone Biles during her exercise in the balance beam final of Tokyo-2020 Ashley Landis / AP
"It has been a very long week, it has been five very long years," he explained from the gymnastics center after the competition, "I was not expecting a medal today, I just wanted to go out and do this for me and it is exactly what I did."
The gymnast surprised last week by withdrawing from the team gymnastics final due to the emotional burden that the Tokyo Games produced.
On Tuesday she said she had been evaluated by medical professionals every day.
In parallel, she also held two sessions with a sports psychologist during her stay in Tokyo, which she said helped her calm down.
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Biles told NBC News that he had learned that his aunt had recently passed away unexpectedly and that it had been very hard.
The gymnast had previously revealed that she suffered from a mental block.
However, during his performance, he did not show that he was suffering from anxiety.
Asked why this Tuesday's bronze meant to the rest of the medals won, she assured that this metal was "definitely sweeter."
"I will appreciate this much more," he said, "I would like to dedicate it to the whole team for helping me and reaching out and supporting me, it has meant a lot."
His 18-year-old teammate Suni Lee staggered on the balance beam, but eventually managed to keep her balance and scored 13,866.
"Trust Suni, you have it," Biles told her before she finished her exercise.
Simone Biles during the balance beam final in Tokyo-2020.
Natacha Pisarenko / AP
Lee will return home with three medals in her Olympic Games debut, having won gold in the singles event, bronze on the uneven bars and silver in the women's team gymnastics final.
Hugs followed each other at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo and the competitors from different countries supported each other in their triumphs.
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The Tokyo Olympics were to be a showcase for the four-time gold medalist.
Instead, Biles sparked a conversation about mental health and sports.
"For anyone who says I quit, I didn't quit, my mind and body are just out of sync as you can see here," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"I don't think they realize how dangerous this is on the hard / competition surface. I also don't have to explain why I put health first," he added, "physical health is mental health."