The competition at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships has begun reeling in and the anticipation couldn’t have been higher. As teams and individuals gathering from 24 different countries take a stance, nearing the goal only gets tighter. However, the odds and the obstacles hold nothing on the determined gymnasts. When the doors to the 2023 Worlds opened, it was each to his own.

Rebeca Andrade, falling no behind, chose to set her foot on the path leading to Paris 2024. The reigning all-around champion of 2022 scoring 56.899, has chosen a path out of her comfort zone; a commonality, the youngster shares with the gymnastics legend, Simone Biles. Rebeca recently announcing her appearance on the mats at the Worlds, has jumped in all prepared; and clear with her objectives.

Gymnastics brilliance takes a step ahead

In 2021, Simone confronted the world with her fear of performing the sport as she went through ‘twisties’. The loss of awareness when in the air poses gymnasts an immense threat as they perform. After going through the same, Simone revealed that she remained scared due to the persisting condition. However, the gymnast wasn’t alone. Sharing her fear of the floor, Simone is joined by Rebeca Andrade; even if they vary by a scale.

Rebeca Andrade, who has worked to clinch the title of women’s all-around in 2022 Worlds, has faced her nightmare more than once. Across multiple contests, Rebeca succumbed to torn ACLs thrice in her career. The injury known to be caused when a performer ends with a short landing or over-rotation has victimized the budding gymnast. The 24-year-old and her coach, Francisco Porath, have led a cautious path to minimize the accidents by limiting her repetitions, causing Rebeca to lay back.

However, now, as the opportunity to make space at the Paris 2024 narrows, the conditions have pushed Rebeca to step up. Competing at the 2023 Worlds, Rebeca announced that she will be contesting across all 4 of the events; including floor exercise, which is prone to cast maximum threat. “She hasn’t competed floor for a while. The floor is the apparatus that wears her out to get ready, to get in shape.” Porath said in an interview to Olympics.com. “And now? Now she’s looking for an Olympic quota, she also has the opportunity for an individual quota, so she needs to do the floor.” The gymnast suffered torn ACLs across three years in the past; 2015, 2017, and 2019. However, despite her fears and obstacles, Rebeca has always persisted in pushing through; clenching titles one after the other.

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Rebeca stands to set examples

The young Brazilian gymnast made her debut on the field as only a 13-year-old. Competing at the Junior Pan American Championships, Rebeca performed to be a part of the silver-winning Brazilian Team. Away from the team events, Rebeca further bagged a gold in three of the individual events, alongside a silver. The youngster’s stellar performance put Rebeca on the pedestal of Brazilian gymnastics.

Rebeca then keeping up, qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she earned a silver medal in all-around. Her win at the Olympics made Rebeca the first Brazilian gymnast to win a medal at the Olympics. Her streak further continued to the 2022 World Gymnastics Championship earning her a gold in all-around; this feat of Rebeca was yet another accomplishment for the aspirants to look up to as she became only the 2nd ever woman to achieve the mentioned.

Having led promisingly through every point of her career, Rebeca has risen to be a force worthy of remembrance. As 24 of the women’s gymnastics teams take on each other for the second day of the Worlds, Rebecca renames herself as someone to look out for.

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