When Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bow down to you, you know you’re one of the best. Rebeca Andrade can proudly flaunt that honor after she outshone both legends to snag the gold in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics. With a stunning performance that radiated elegance and confidence, Andrade scored a dazzling 14.166, just edging out Biles’ 14.133. In fact, Simone Biles has been candid about her friend—and fierce competitor on the mat—saying, “I don’t wanna compete with Rebeca no more. I’m tired—like, she’s way too close. I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes and brought out the best athlete in myself.”

Thus, looking back at her Paris Olympics campaign, she can be heavily proud of herself. With a total of three medals under her belt, she’s made history as Brazil’s most decorated gymnast ever! She’s declared this year the best of her career, but her stellar Olympic performance leaves us with a burning question: Will she dazzle us again at the LA 2028 Olympics?

Before Paris, Andrade thought she’d hang up her leotard for good, but now she’s flipped the script and is gearing up for another shot at Olympic glory. However, she’s not diving headfirst into every event. The talented gymnast has decided to sit out her golden apparatus, floor exercise, citing the toll it takes on her body!

Talking to Vogue Brazil as their cover star of October 2024, Rebeca Andrade said, “This type of event is very exhausting for the lower limbs, I have had many surgeries (8 in total) and I feel pain. On the floor exercise, we have to support 14 times our weight when we hit the ground.” She added, “I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. I’ve always competed on all the apparatus and eventually the bill comes due, and for me, it has. It’s very difficult to give up a device that I have a chance at, but I need to put my health first.”

This news might hit her fans hard, as Rebeca Andrade won’t get the chance to defend her gold medal at the LA 2028 Olympics. But there’s no denying the truth behind her decision—her injuries tell a tough story. Andrade has faced an unfortunate string of physical setbacks, enduring three ACL injuries in just four years, all on her right knee. After a successful junior career, her senior debut in 2015 was cut short by her first ACL tear. Undeterred, she bounced back and represented Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she finished an impressive eleventh in the all-around final.

However, the injury bug struck again in 2017, leading to her second ACL tear. But Andrade wasn’t done yet! She made her World Championships debut in 2018, showcasing her resilience and determination. After suffering her third ACL tear in 2019, she returned to represent Brazil at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2021 World Championships, where she clinched gold in the vault at both events.

These setbacks kept her from competing at the World Championships in those respective years, but Andrade didn’t let her physical suffering derail her career. With a total of nine medals at the World Championships, she’s not just a born winner—she’s a true powerhouse! So, while her decision not to compete in the floor exercise at LA 2028 may disappoint fans, Andrade’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Beyond her impressive tally, she’s also making waves in the sport by advocating for a better environment for gymnasts.

How Rebeca Andrade is helping create a better atmosphere for younger gymnasts

After Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics because of mental blockage, the gymnastics community came into sharp review. Many of the competing athletes were subjected to harsh mental and physical treatment to prepare for competition. This had to change, as it was terrible for the future of the sport.

A safer environment needed to be created for athletes to come and compete in higher competitions and not have cases similar to that of Simone. Rebeca Andrade has been at the forefront of promoting this safer culture, which is now slowly becoming more evident in the sport. The Brazilian believes that for numerous years gymnasts have been treated like robots who cannot vent about any problem in their life, with their main job being to compete.

During the same interview, she said, “From the moment we started to be heard, and when they understood that it’s no use just looking good on the outside, that we need to feel safe in our family and sports environment, changes happened, and it became clear that things can be done differently and in healthier ways. Our results on the stage today are a consequence of this.” Rebeca also went on to downplay her hyped-up rivalry with Simone Biles and remarked that she has rooted for female gymnasts as she knows how hard it is to reach the stage they’re competing in.

Simone echoed these sentiments in her interview with Vogue, praising Andrade as a vital part of the sport and acknowledging how she helps drive gymnastics forward. It’s crystal clear that Rebeca Andrade is a key player in gymnastics right now, which makes her potential participation in LA all the more significant. Fingers crossed it all comes together, so we can witness her grace and strength on the biggest stage once again!