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.

Meet the standouts and review the biggest storylines going into this weekend's Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Ellie Black's beam routine secured Canada's bronze medal, their first ever world medal in the team event, and a berth in that event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

And then there was Simone Biles, who also stumbled midway through her acrobatic series and stepped off the beam, unable to regain her balance. The entire crowd of thousands gasped. She remounted ...

Brody Penn of Ohio State Club Gymnastics team warms up on the balance beam at the 2025 NAIGC national competition in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) ...

“She executed her routine perfectly,” said Anne Merklinger, chief executive officer of Own the Podium. “It’s one of the best balance-beam routines in the world in terms of degree of ...

Russia's Angelina Melnikova competes in the artistic gymnastics balance beam event. The Russian Olympic Committee team posted the top team score of 171.629 through the first three subdivisions.

Paris 2024 Olympics - Artistic Gymnastics - Women's Balance Beam Final - Bercy Arena, Paris, France - August 05, 2024. Alice D'Amato of Italy in action on the Balance Beam.