It has been some year for Rebecca Andrade. Competing with blurred vision, the Brazilian had one of the best outings in the French capital recently. Winning her second Olympic gold, Andrade also clinched two silver and a bronze to ascend to the top of Brazilian gymnastics history. En route to her spectacle in Paris, Andrade had to overcome as many as 3 ACL injuries in 4 years! Now that’s some resilience shown by the champion gymnast. 

Touted as the arch-rival of Simone Biles, Andrade snatched the gold from Biles in the floor final. What’s more? The Brazilian almost got the all-around gold too, making Biles ‘scared’ for the first time in her life. Thus, with such a strong portfolio, one would expect Andrade to continue for a while. Unfortunately, life is bizarre and one cannot guess the pains even a champion like Andrade had to go through. Following her uneven bars triumph in the Brazilian Artistic Championships, Andrade penned down a long note that left fans confused about her gymnastics future. 

Recalling her journey filled with ups and downs, Andrade spilled the beans on how she was considering retirement prior to Paris. In her latest Instagram post, the Brazilian stated that back in March 2024, she was sure about Paris being her ‘last Olympic cycle’. A major reason for the decision was some harsh criticisms that Andrade had to face. Being labeled as “selfish” and “ungrateful”, Andrade started bleeding emotionally from the inside. 

Despite wanting to retire, Andrade pointed out that prioritizing self-care was one of the ways she kept on with the grind. And just when all the chips were down, Andrade was hit by the road roller named Paris Olympics. Many things happened all at once in Paris. Andrade put up a show, she hot bowed down to Simone Biles, and even got a hug from the GOAT herself! And if these incidents had not healed Andrade, then that would have been surprising. 

With Paris completely changing her outlook toward her career, Andrade is now replenished with more self-belief. In her Instagram post, she echoed the vibrant energy as the Olympian wrote, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would become the greatest Olympian in the history of my country.” Well, while Paris was surely not the last stop for Andrade, her overly emotional outburst left the fans reeling over the possibility of Andrade featuring in LA28.

Rebeca Andrade sparks confusing retirement speculations

As Andrade’s latest update is overflowing with emotions, fans are finding it tough to process the exact message that the Brazilian wanted to convey. As a result, debates have ensued in full flow in the comment section of a Reddit post by ‘r/gymnastics’. 

One comment suggested that earlier, Rebecca Andrade might have considered retiring, but after her success at the Olympics, she seems motivated to continue competing. Moreover, the commenter also shared that Rebeca might also be attempting the TTY vault. Their comment read, “I don’t think so. I think earlier this year she might have been planning for that but I think she feels more motivated after the Olympics and has some goals left she wants to achieve (TTY?!). I think she is done competing for this year though…” The fan also added that she might be done for this year, however, they also speculated Andrade could still compete in the Swiss Cup before taking a break to rest and refocus.

Expressing heartfelt love and admiration for the two best gymnasts of the world, one fan wrote, “She deserves it!”. The fan added that they wholeheartedly want both Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade to continue competing, but also added that the decision solely lies in the hands of the two powerhouses. With Andrade’s uncertain future in gymnastics and Biles’ legendary status, fans are left confused if they would get to witness the stars compete against each other again. The fan continued, “And I hope she’s not retiring. I’ll say what I’ve said: She and Simone don’t owe anyone a damn thing, but I selfishly hope they both continue to compete. I love seeing them face each other (hell, I just love seeing them perform), and I’m trying to go to LA28.” 

Another X user stated that Rebeca Andrade has withdrawn from the Swiss Cup, making the Brazilian Nationals her last competition of the season. On the other hand, Julia Soares would replace her at the Swiss Cup in all probability. “She’s no longer doing Swiss cup – i think this is her last competition of the season. Julia soares will compete in the Swiss cup!”, commented the user. Moreover, such a decision likely stems from Andrade’s focus on recovering and taking care of her body.

One fan suggested that Andrade’s message implies she’s not retiring yet but leaving her future open. “I think you can make an argument that it’s a statement that she is definitely not retiring, but I took it more as she’s leaving the door open instead of shutting it. Maybe that’s LA, maybe thats just putting the TTY to her feet in a competition and then retiring, that she herself doesn’t know yet”, added the netizen. While the Brazilian phenom may compete in Los Angeles or aim to perform the TTY vault before retiring, her decision isn’t final. Fans are left concerned by Andrade’s uncertainty about her gymnastics career, despite her success and current plans.

Thus, by telling the tale of hard work, resilience, and empathy, Rebeca Andrade has surely won hearts. And her latest update is a stark example that even the hardest paths will lead to the sweetest destinations if the cause is noble and the focus is right.