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Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles Explain Their Viral Podium Photo with Rebeca Andrade
The Brazilian gymnast won the gold medal in the individual floor routine event by just 0.033 points at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles are bowing down to the "Queen" Rebeca Andrade.
In the floor routine event at the Paris Olympics, Brazil's Andrade took the gold, with Biles coming in second and Chiles taking third. And though Americans have been rooting for Team USA's gymnasts, the athletes themselves are merely happy to see three Black women on the podium.
"She's so amazing, she's queen," Biles said of Andrade to reporters, according to People. "And first, it was an all-Black podium, so that was super exciting for us."
Biles added that it was Chiles' idea to bow down to Andrade after they were given their medals, a notion that Biles immediately agreed to. "I was like, 'Absolutely,'" the 27-year-old said.
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Team USA's Friendship with Andrade
Throughout the Summer Games, the gymnasts have gone up against Andrade on multiple occasions, but there has never been a fierce sense of rivalry, according to Chiles. "Not only has she given Simone her flowers, but a lot of us in the United States our flowers as well, so giving it back is what makes it so beautiful, so I felt like it was needed," Chiles explained.
In fact, both Biles and Andrade have said that seeing each other's performances is a source of encouragement, as it pushes them to do their best.
Recently, Biles told reporters that Andrade's performances "put me on my toes" during the competition. She even revealed that she didn't plan to do the Yurchenko double pike on the vault, but decided to do the difficult move after realizing what a tough competitor Andrade was. "I just knew how phenomenal of an athlete she is and on each event we're very similar in scores, so I was like, 'Okay, I think I have to bring out the big guns," Biles said.
Likewise, Andrade said that the competition with Biles has motivated her too. "I’m not fighting against her ... I’m fighting with me to be my best myself," she said through an interpreter on Monday, according to Sports Illustrated.
Biles Encouraged Andrade to Keep Competing
And Andrade's gold medal might not have happened were it not for the encouraging words Biles shared with her when she suffered a debilitating knee injury in 2018. The injury had Andrade questioning her future in the sport, but Biles told her to keep going, Andrade revealed in an interview with the Washington Post.
“It was such a kind moment, so affectionate, because there was no one else around,” Andrade shared with the outlet. “She told me, ‘Don’t give up. You’re talented. And you’re going to get past this.’”
As Biles contemplates her own future in the sport — at 27, she's nearing the age where most competitive gymnasts retire — Andrade is hoping that Biles holds out a bit longer, telling the Washington Post that she herself went to Biles and said, "We need you."
Though Biles herself has acknowledged she's getting older, she's also not ready to answer questions about her retirement either. In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, she quickly shut down reporters, saying, "You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics. Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for."
