It was a tie that couldn't be broken.
Japanese gymnast Mai Murakami and Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova earned the same score for the routines they performed during the floor exercise final: a 14.166. Both ended up in third behind Jade Carey and Vanessa Ferrari, so the medal would go to whomever had the higher execution score.
Except both gymnasts earned a 8.266 out of a possible perfect 10. The next step was to look at who competed the more difficult routine. Once all Melnikova's tumbling and dance elements were accounted for, her difficulty scored totaled a 5.9 while Murakami....also did a routine with skills that added up to a 5.9. With no further measurement by which to differentiate their scores, both gymnasts were awarded bronze and stood side by side on the podium.
The bronze brings Melnikova's total haul in Tokyo to three, as she won a gold with the Russian Olympic Committee in the team final and a bronze in the individual all-around competition.
For Murakami, the medal is her first and Japan’s first individual women’s gymnastics medal in Olympic history. It's the nation's second medal ever in women's gymnastics after the Japanese team won bronze in 1964, the last time the Summer Games were held in Tokyo.
The floor event final tie was not the only one of the artistic gymnastics events in Tokyo. There were two ties during the men's event finals, but both were broken with the winner ultimately receiving the gold.
