Hardly any gymnast has undergone a similar transformation in the post-Tokyo Olympics era as Rebeca Andrade. One of the best Brazilian gymnasts had to battle with her third ACL tear, a lack of competition in the global gymnastics contests, and a Pandemic before watching her reigning in the Japanese capital.

But now, straight back to 2024, she has the highest number of global laurels among any other Brazilian gymnasts. Furthermore, Rebeca Andrade has proved herself in front of Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, last year in the World Athletics Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp. And now she aims to do that again, in Paris. 

In this fiery contest, Rebeca will back her hard-earned lessons to prove her side against the American legend again after facing turmoil in many forms. In a conversation with The Associated Press, the reigning world vault champion said, “I am much more mature both as a person and as an athlete.” And this maturity has come after her Tokyo Olympics endeavor.

Despite the threats of her chronic knee injury and the Pandemic, the then-21-year-old gymnast covered a journey to the Pan American Games with only a target in mind- to achieve a ticket for the Tokyo Olympics. The journey was desperate in the Covid-restricted environment.

But her heroics did not waver as Rebeca entered Tokyo confidently after earning her qualification from the Pan-Am and left the country of Samurai with two individual medals—a silver medal for all-around and a gold medal in vault- a hard thing to think even 3 months before it. However, in both finals, she didn’t have to contest against Simone Biles as the latter had already bowed out from the final because of her ‘twisties’. 

In the next two years, her chronic ACL injury did not hold her back while the Sao Paulo native continued to win medals in the WAG Championships. In her chat with the Associated Press, she narrated this part, “After Japan I continued to evolve. And that made me better in the gym”. Again, the gymnastics fans missed seeing her locking horns with Simone. Eventually, this thirst for seeing her competing against Simone Biles increased after the consistency the Brazilian gymnast had shown that could have only been possible for the four-time Olympic champion. 

In the 2023 WAG, the duo appeared against each other to savor that thirst. The all-around final saw their first battle after a long duration since they had waged a gymnastics war against each other. However, Simone drew the first blood as she defeated Rebeca in the all-around final. But the Brazilian victor ludorum kept a clean slate as in the vault event she overpowered her nemesis to win the gold medal. Ultimately, such achievements have made her closer to Simone Biles in gymnastics as presently they are the only active gymnasts to win medals in every event of the World Championships. Now, the fight will reach the Paris Olympics. 

She does it as Simone Biles does it too 

Last year, in the WAG Championships in Antwerp, the world witnessed their neck-to-neck battle in each event. But the all-around title garnered the most interest as in her last full-notched Olympic participation (as in Tokyo, she had to leave several events unattended), Simone Biles left Brazil with the gymnastics all-around title. Nevertheless, four years later, in her absence, Rebeca Andrade reached so close to the same title. But she had to remain satisfied with the second rank behind Suni Lee. Therefore, this time she will try her best to touch the untouched laurel. But Simone Biles will stand in between. 

Rebeca knows that very well. Ultimately, that factor motivates her, to defy every odds. While expressing that mindset, she adds, “It’s about doing my best, and I hope [Biles] does, too, that she does her best because it’s an honour to be able to compete alongside her.” She also knows that she has to defeat someone who has several gymnastics schedules in her name! 

Meanwhile, Rebeca Andrade’s preparation shows her mettle or the fact that she is so eager to make her frontrunner against Simone. Her Triple Twisting Yurchenko vault exercise speaks a volume on that part. But will that be enough to defeat Simone Biles, who has yet to face a defeat after that WAG 2023 vault event in her post-Tokyo Olympics schedule? Well, that world knows that only Rebeca Andrade has the might to let Simone taste the same experience again.