After becoming the greatest Olympian that Brazil has ever seen, Rebeca Andrade said this: “For me, it’s not a pressure because I don’t even know if I’ll be there in Los Angeles.” In fact, the 25-year-old even suggested she might bid farewell to gymnastics before Simone Biles! However, she did end her statement on a positive note.

“As long as I’m well and healthy, I’ll practice my sport and be happy.” Well, Andrade reiterated this sentiment in a rather emotional revelation – taking the gymnastics community through everything she’s had to overcome in the past few months. And even though it ended on a positive note yet again, many came to the conclusion that – as she suggested – Andrade may not return to the Games in four years.

Reflecting on the Olympic year she’s had, Rebeca Andrade shared, “On 3/16/2024, in a moment of sadness and sorrow, I wrote a farewell letter to gymnastics on my cell phone notes.” She was 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, she pointed out that prioritizing self-care was one of the ways she kept up with the grind. And just when all the chips were down, Andrade was hit by the road roller named Paris Olympics. And what an experience that turned out to be.

Competing with blurred vision, the Brazilian had one of the best outings in the French capital. Winning her second Olympic gold, the 25-year-old 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 three ACL injuries in four years! Now, that’s some resilience shown by the champion gymnast. 

Touted as Simone Biles’ arch-rival, Andrade snatched the gold from the American 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 Rebeca had to go through.

“A cycle has ended, but I believe it has a beautiful and bright future that I am still going to walk! (the future I mentioned above was a future outside of gymnastics, but that was not God’s plan for me!)” This is how the Brazilian ended her farewell note from March. “God’s plan” for her was falling in love with gymnastics all over again. So, following her uneven bars triumph in the Brazilian Artistic Championships, Rebeca Andrade penned down another long note.

With Paris completely changing her outlook toward her career, Andrade is now replenished with more self-belief. In her Instagram post, she expressed the vibrant energy: “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 Andrade’s last stop, her overly emotional outburst left fans on Reddit reeling over the possibility of her featuring in LA28.

Rebeca Andrade may be done for 2024, but fans believe she still has more to achieve

As Andrade’s update overflowed with emotions, fans found it tough to process the exact message she wanted to convey. But after her Olympic run – as well as a striking detail from before the Games – many believe that there’s more in store for the Brazilian.

“I think, earlier this year, she might have been planning [on retiring]. But I think she feels more motivated after the Olympics and has some goals left she wants to achieve (TTY?!)” wrote one user, suggesting that Andrade could potentially sign off only after getting a vault named after her. Before the Paris Games, there were videos of the 25-year-old practicing the Triple-Twisting Yurchenko vault – a move that could have a difficulty score of as high as 5.8.

No woman has successfully performed a TTY vault in an international competition. Andrade had submitted a proposal to have the vault named after her if she performed it in Paris, but since she didn’t compete it in the competition, it’s still just the TTY. While that may be on her bucket list, the Redditor believes it may not be in the cards this year. “I think she is done competing for this year, though,” they wrote.

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 her, one fan wrote, “She deserves it!” They added that they wholeheartedly want both Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade to continue competing but also 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 will get to witness the stars compete against each other again. “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.” 

Unfortunately for the fan, Rebeca Andrade most likely won’t make an appearance at the Swiss Cup. But the 2028 Olympics is not out of the question. Another user commented, “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!” 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 that’s just putting the TTY to her feet in a competition and then retiring. That she herself doesn’t know yet.”

Or maybe she has something else in mind altogether. In her note, Rebeca wrote, “The feeling and responsibility that comes naturally from being a role model, has a great power inside me.” After she won a gold in Tokyo, that made young kids who wanted to follow in her footsteps believe that overcoming adversity to achieve greatness was a possibility. Before Andrade, the gymnastics scene in Brazil was almost non-existent. But she made all the difference.

Now that she has another gold medal to her name, the anticipation around gymnastics is greater than ever. Andrade has made the sport more accessible, and as long as she continues to take the world by storm, this movement in Brazil is only going to get bigger and bigger. Thus, by telling the tale of hard work, resilience, and empathy, Rebeca Andrade has surely won hearts. 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.