What happens when two of the world’s best gymnasts perform on the same floor? Well, we get an 11x Olympic medalist such as Simone Biles saying things like, “I don’t wanna compete with Rebeca no more—I’m tired.” Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade’s unprecedented rise has been one for the history books. Edging Biles by a mere 0.033 points, the 25-year-old did the impossible in just her second Olympics.

But could there be any jealousy between them, considering both are so incredibly talented?

The 27-year-old Biles laughed about their friendly rivalry in an interview on August 2, saying, “I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes and it brought out the best athlete in myself.” The Brazilian gymnast also shared her take on their relationship, touching on the balance between competitiveness and sportsmanship. In a recent YouTube video titled “REBECA ANDRADE NO MAIS VOCÊ – ENTREVISTA COMPLETA” on the channel Rafael Godoi LIVES, the host asked Andrade about “the greatest gymnast of all time” and how her costly mistakes prevented her from securing a fourth gold medal.

Reflecting on the outcome, Andrade commented, “It affects significantly, right? Yes, you can lose from 0.10 to 0.30, which for a floor routine, any other apparatus final, is a lot, and it’s what took her out of first place, right? Yes, she knew then that she had lost first place. I think she really felt it, right?”

The host further spoke about a video where Biles commented about Andrade taking it. He then asked his guest how close the US gymnast was to snatching Andrade’s gold, to which the latter replied, “Close? Simone is out of this world. Her talent and the things she can do are surreal.”

Biles, who was heavily favored for the top-spot with her high-difficulty routine, faced setbacks when she stepped out of bounds on two of her four tumbling passes, garnering a 0.6 points deduction. Despite a strong start with a nailed triple-twisting double back, her power led to costly mistakes, preventing a fourth gold medal. Andrade scored 14.166 in the floor exercise while Biles got 14.133!

Before Biles’ score was announced, a viral video even captured her saying, “I think she got that one. I think Rebeca got this one,” followed by a nervous “Oh, I’m scared.” And with good reason. In an event traditionally dominated by U.S. gymnasts—who had claimed every gold since 2012—Andrade took the top medal, becoming the first Brazilian gymnast to hear her national anthem play on a podium in Paris.

Known as Brazil’s “golden girl”, Andrade had previously won gold on the vault in Tokyo when Biles withdrew. This victory, however, carried extra significance, as it proved Andrade could triumph even with Biles in the competition. Reflecting on the moment, the host asked, “I think she felt it, but even so, she was very close, right? She was close anyway. She is very good, right?” And what was Rebeca Andrade’s response?

The symbolism behind Rebeca Andrade’s Olympic moment

To this, Rebeca responded, “Simone is out of this world. Her talent and the things she can do are surreal.” They also discussed the Netflix documentary on Biles, which covers her exit from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the twisties. The host reflected, “It’s a life of dedication, really, right? I think it’s what you all do, and she seemed like a very nice person, without that thing of jealousy towards others.”

Rebeca agreed, pointing out one of the most symbolic and beautiful moments of the Paris Olympics. When she ascended the podium for the floor exercise, taking her place at the top, her competitors, including Jordan Chiles, revered her.

As Brazil’s most decorated Olympian stood atop the Olympic podium, basking in the glory of her gold medal, she was joined by Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, who bowed down on either side of her, offering their heartfelt praise. The moment quickly went viral, capturing the attention of fans worldwide, but for Biles and Chiles, the silver and bronze medalists, it was simply “the right thing to do.” But did you know it was actually Chiles’ idea?

Biles explained, “Rebeca, she’s so amazing, she’s a queen. It was an all-Black podium, so that was super exciting for us. Jordan asked, ‘Should we bow to her?’ and I told her, ‘Absolutely’. So that’s why we did it.” 

As for the initial bronze medal winner, Jordan Chiles, she also appreciated the gold medalist saying, “Rebeca has done a lot within her sport, within her country…I felt like people should get recognized the proper way, and bowing down to her was like giving her that recognition that she really deserved that medal.” And just like Rebeca Andrade mentioned, Chiles also emphasized how jealousy is a far-fetched concept within them.

“I think it’s all about sportsmanship, and we don’t care whether we win or lose. We’re always going to keep a good face and support our competitors because they’ve worked just as hard as we have for that moment,” she said.

This powerful gesture capped off an incredible Olympic journey for the 25-year-old Brazilian star, who had already made history by leading her country to its first-ever team artistic gymnastics medal—a bronze—before claiming silver in both the individual all-around and vault. With that being said, it seems their rivalry is more about friendly competition and mutual respect than any bad blood. What’s your take on this friendly rivalry—does it seem like a case of ‘keeping it all in good fun’ while pushing each other to be their best?