Did you think Lewis Hamilton was only rooting for his close friend Miles Chamley-Watson at the Olympics? Well, the Briton has heaped support for many of the other stars who showed off their sheer brilliance at the greatest sports meet in the world. As one of the most popular athletes of this era, Hamilton often brushes shoulders with the who’s-who of the sports world.
And being a true friend to all his loved ones, he cheered for the Olympians as they won medals at the Paris Games 2024. But the seven-time world champion was not the only F1 racer to do this. Taking his lead, McLaren prodigy Oscar Piastri jumped on the bandwagon too!
The artistic gymnastics events at the Olympics saw some of the biggest names fight for medals this time. From the USA, there was Tokyo 2020’s team all-around silver-medallist Jordan Chile and 7-time Olympic gold-medallist Simone Biles. Also present was Rebeca Andrade, the Brazilian who had won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) for her vault routine.
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This time, Andrade scripted history by surpassing Lee and Biles to get the first spot in the floor exercise. And as a proud honorary citizen of Brazil, Lewis Hamilton hailed Andrade for her achievement. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri also took to the comments section of Andrade’s Instagram post which showed her winning moment.
Piastri shared a “clap” emoji to show his appreciation for the 25-year-old gymnast. But Andrade’s accolades at the Olympics did not just end there. The Brazilian also got two silver medals for her all-around and vault routines. Additionally, she was in the Brazilian women’s gymnastics team that came back with a bronze medal.
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As all of Brazil is now cheering for Rebeca Andrade after her brilliant performance at the Olympics, she has spoken about her legacy. In fact, she compared it with that of a legendary F1 Champion from her country–so, who is it?
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Oscar Piastri following Lewis Hamilton's footsteps—Is this the new era of sportsmanship in F1?
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Rebeca Andrade shared thoughts on being a reference for young gymnasts
The F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri were not the only ones bowing down to Andrade’s talent. In a photo that has gone viral now, Rebeca Andrade’s gymnast colleagues Simone Biles and Jordan Chile kneeled in front of her as she sported her gold medal for the floor exercise. So, the Brazilian has realized how she is becoming a massive phenomenon now and the young aspiring gymnasts are looking up to her.
Speaking on why Andrade feels like the Brazilian 3-time F1 Champion Ayrton Senna, she said, “Being able to represent and have pride, being a reference is something that I will take forever with me. As we see [Ayrton] Senna, as we see several sportsmen that we think like this, ‘Damn, he was giant. Look how he inspires me, look how he spoke, look how he did, look how he is.’”
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Thus, the 2022 all-around World Champion is now riding on a high after her Olympic medal wins. And joining her up there, Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri have shared their praises for her on social media. Do you think these two talents also deserve their own World Championship wins in the upcoming F1 seasons?
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Oscar Piastri following Lewis Hamilton's footsteps—Is this the new era of sportsmanship in F1?