Fans might have to wait a little longer to see Rebeca Andrade back on the floor after her stunning performance at the Paris Olympics. Gymnasts all over the globe have started stretching the extra mile for the  2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship which is to be held in  Jakarta this October. As the gymnastics enthusiasts also gear up to cheer their favorites, Andrade’s update might cool them down. 

It was the floor where Rebeca delivered the iconic performances that won her the gold. But as age and injury take their toll on the 25-year-old, she has decided to stick to her decision of retiring from floor exercise. In an interview with Olympics.com, the two-time olympian said, “Vault and bars are totally fine for me, so I’ll do them. Beam I’m not sure, but it’s not as demanding on my body as floor. I’m sticking to the decision of not doing floor for now.”

Rebeca’s statements show off her wisdom, especially in a sport where longevity is a rarity. The reigning Olympic floor champion at this moment wants to take care of her body and recover from her muscle pains and the aches she has had since last year. Andrade has had three ACL injuries in her career, in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It’s only justified for the Olympian to take a break to swing harder the next time she’s on the floor.

Prioritizing health over the competition is not new to gymnastics. The G.O.A.T of this sport, Simone Biles withdrew from several events in the Tokyo Olympics to support her mental health battle against the twisties. Biles’ comeback in the 2024 Paris Olympics spoke for itself. The Ohio native snatched 4 medals in totality- 3 gold and 1 silver. She did not let her adversities tie her down. She made a statement by emerging stronger than ever!

The 25-year-old also talked about how an injury stopped her from putting up a show at the Paris Olympics. “I really wish I could have presented it last year because I was feeling well, but I hurt my shoulder [before the Games]. It worked out fine in the end because I got my medals, thank God”. Andrade wanted to perform the Yurchenko triple twist, which involves launching off a springboard with a round-off entry, followed by a back handspring onto the vault table, and then executing three full twists in a backflip before landing,  a move that comes with high levels of difficulty.

Though Rebeca is off the floor as of now she still has kept that gate open with her dream of doing the Yurchenko triple twist…maybe at the 2028 Olympics. She said “It’s a dream that everyone can have, but it might not happen as well. I don’t want to let anybody down, and I’ll work hard to do it,” Andrade said. “I need to train it, and if it’s good, I’ll do it. If I don’t feel safe, I won’t do it.”

If you are an Andrade fan and feeling dismayed by the prospect of never watching her on the mat again, don’t be. Not all hope is yet lost, “Right now, my focus is on recovering my body, getting rid of all the pain I have, and then we’ll see“. But if this were to be the end, the Sao Paulo native has said goodbye in the best way she can to the floor.

Rebeca Andrade goes over legends at the Paris Olympics 2024

Rebeca took the world by surprise at the 2024 Olympics as the Brazilian just went out to rule the Gymnastics, winning gold at floor exercise, silver in all-around and vault, and a team bronze. But her win wasn’t just marked by the number of medals she won but also by who she beat, the American icon Jordan Chiles and the G.O.A.T of gymnastics, Simone Biles herself. This win secured her a permanent place among the elite gymnasts forever.

Rebeca’s injuries might hinder her dreams of performing the most difficult gymnastics moves or her age can obstruct her comeback to the floor but one thing is for sure, she is going down in history for all that she has achieved. To be the first-ever Brazilian woman to win Olympic medals is a huge deal in itself. For many budding gymnasts in her country and elsewhere, she is an icon and an inspiration!