It’s a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to gymnastics on the international stage. And yet, sometimes the brotherhood, or sisterhood, between athletes can create heartwarming moments. While 7x Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is justifiably looked at as competition by gymnasts from around the world, the Houston native confessed that some of her fiercest opponents can have a very different view on the matter.

The gymnastics GOAT appeared at the Vtex Connect in New York on January 13th. There, she shared the stage with Rebeca Andrade, Brazil’s Olympic gold medalist gymnast, who also enjoys an iconic status around the world. In her recent Instagram story, Biles shared a brief snippet from the event where the two gymnasts can be seen hugging each other.

At the event, Simone talked about how her first Olympic experience was made easy by the Brazilians. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles hauled four gold and one bronze medal, establishing herself firmly as one of the most prolific stars of the Games. But she had people in the foreign land to support her as well. “That was my very first Olympics, and Brazil embraced me as one of their own, even though I was American, and they loved on me…and they still support me,” she said about how the Rio Games will always be memorable for her. With that, she also shared praising words for the 2x Olympic gold medalist Andrade.

“I absolutely love and adore Rebeca,” Biles told the crowd highlighting that the two share a bond that goes beyond their gymnastics rivalry as seen in an Instagram story posted by Lu CarmoInstagram story posted by Lu Carmo. “The way she paved Brazilian gymnastics… is definitely unmatched,” Simone Biles stated further. “I love her, and I love that resilience,” she affirmed with a beaming smile, noting that what they share cannot be quantified but instead can only be felt.

When the two Olympic gold medalists embraced each other at the New York event tonight, fans broke into loud applause, hailing both gymnasts for their incredible achievements at the grandest sporting tournament in the world. However, for the ardent gymnastics fans, this wasn’t the first time that Biles and Andrade’s mutual love and respect for each other made them go “aww“.

Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade’s sisterhood goes beyond the sport

The scenes that unfolded at the Bercy Arena last year will surely go down as historic in the gymnastics community. In the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Andrade bested the USA’s Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles to win gold in women’s floor exercise, while the two Americans bagged silver and bronze, respectively. However, it was the medal ceremony that became even more noteworthy than the event itself. After the Brazilian received her Olympic gold, both Biles and Chiles hailed her achievement in spectacular fashion by getting down on their knees and paying tribute to the best athlete among them. The incredible display of sportsmanship melted the fans’ hearts, and they couldn’t stop remarking how it was a beautiful moment.

“Rebeca is a queen,” Biles explained with a grin. “Jordan suggested we bow, and I was like, ‘Absolutely.'” Simone later explained how she and the UCLA star decided to go the extra mile to show Rebeca their admiration. However, the intense rivalry the two have had over the years has many fans believing that it dictates Andrade and Simone’s lives. However, in November last year, Rebeca nullified the speculations.

“We support each other a lot, we root for each other a lot…I root for her a lot,” the 25-year-old told No Ataque. One story for the books, huh? So how do you love to see these two larger-than-life stars sharing their praise for one another? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!