Left to right: Simone Biles of Team United States (silver), Brazil's Rebeca Andrade (gold) and Jordan Chiles of Team United States (bronze) during the podium ceremony for the artistic gymnastics women's floor exercise event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on Aug. 5.LOIC VENANCE/Getty Images
After playing second fiddle to American superstar Simone Biles for the past week, Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade finally got her moment of glory, clinching the last gymnastics gold medal at the Paris Games on Monday to carve out a place in history.
The moment the 25-year-old stepped on to the medals podium and raised her arms in triumph said it all: Biles and her United States teammate Jordan Chiles bowed in sync to the newly crowned floor exercise queen.
“It was very adorable of them,” Andrade said, flashing a smile as reporters asked about that photogenic moment, which quickly went viral on social media.
“They are the world’s best athletes and what they did means a lot to me. I feel honoured,” she said.
Glittering in teal and with the adoring crowd clapping along to her floor music, Andrade performed an energetic, rhythmic routine that captivated Bercy Arena, the cheers as deafening as those let out for Biles.
“I love Rebecca – she’s absolutely amazing,” Biles gushed, content with her own accomplishments in Paris – three golds and a silver. “I can’t say enough good things about her.”
Biles, now with 11 Olympic medals to her name, said the all-Black podium was a proud moment too, and that when Chiles asked her if they should bow to Andrade, it was a no-brainer.
“She’s a queen … That’s why we did it. She’s such an excitement to watch. And then all the fans in the crowd always cheering for her, so it was just the right thing to do.”
Earlier in the competition, Biles had paid Andrade the ultimate compliment by declaring her the only gymnast to “stress her out” by coming close to her sky-high scores on the various events.
But Andrade did more than stress out Biles on Monday, beating her by a razor-thin 0.033 of a point to capture the title. She had placed second behind Biles in the all-around and vault events.
While a heroine’s welcome surely awaits Andrade in Brazil – along with what she acknowledged as the responsibility of serving as an inspiration to budding athletes at home – she said her main goal was to continue being herself.
“I will always see myself as Rebeca,” she said, leaving her future plans open.
“I will go back home, I will continue taking care of my dogs and continue cooking for myself and doing business as usual.”
Follow the latest news and highlights from the Paris Olympic Games
Monday's Olympic gold medal floor performance by Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade is resonating strongly in her home town, the city of Guarulhos on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Her success, and the sight of runner-up Simone Biles and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles bowing to Andrade on the podium in a gesture of respect, is giving budding gymnasts there fresh inspiration.
The Associated Press