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Louise Thomas
Editor
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles affectionately bowed down to their Brazilian rival Rebecca Andrade after she beat them for the gold medal.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Andrade became the most decorated Brazilian athlete in history after winning four medals: one gold, two silver, and one bronze. She beat out Biles for the gold medal, but the 27-year-old Olympian ultimately walked over to her competitor Rebeca Andrade to congratulate her with a high-five and a big hug.
Biles was heard on camera speculating who may win gold just as the score was about to be announced. She said: “I think she got that one. I think Rebeca got this one. Oh, I’m scared.”
Andrade edged out Biles during the competition, with the latter stepping out of bounds twice during her routine and contending with a tweaked calf that she’s been dealing with since the Olympic qualifiers. Biles ultimately scored 14.133, slightly less than Andrade’s 14.166, but enough to hand her the win. Meanwhile, Biles's teammate Chiles initially placed in fourth place after scoring 13.766. However, the judges updated Chiles’ score after submitting an inquiry, landing her in third place with a bronze medal.
When all the medalists posed together on the podium, Biles and Chiles sweetly bowed down to the newly minted gold medalist on the Olympic platform. The sweet moment prompted audiences everywhere to share their adoration for the display of sportsmanship and Team USA’s supportive attitude.
“A picture sufficient enough to tell about the true spirit of the Olympics,” one person wrote. Meanwhile, another added: “Women supporting other women. Beautiful.”
“Competitors not enemies... this is beautiful,” someone else commented.
“Maybe we should hang it in the Louvre...” The Louvre’s social media account cheekily added.
Biles continued to sing Andrade’s praises well after the awards ceremony. “I have so much respect for her. She’s such a good competitor,” Biles said. “She keeps me on my toes. It’s an honor to get to compete with her.”
After winning the women’s all-around finals, Biles had similar remarks, noting that Andrade kept her on her toes after the Brazilian athlete could have been close to clinching the gold rather than the silver medal.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore! I’m tired. She’s very close to me — I’ve never had an athlete so close,” Biles admitted during a press conference. “This definitely kept me alert and brought out the best athlete in me. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her, but — no.”
She added: “I’ve never been so stressed before. Thank you, Rebeca.”
At the time, Andrade brought home silver, meanwhile, defending gold medalist Suni Lee came in third after close competition from Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour and Italy’s Alice D’Amato.
