The competition between them has been very close: Simone Biles always leading and Rebeca Andrade in her shadow. However, yesterday, in the closing of the artistic gymnastics events, the latter managed to make her way through. Biles concludes these Paris Games (it is not clear if also her Olympic career) having redeemed herself from Tokyo, where she had to withdraw due to mental health issues. She leaves with three golds, but without the two she thought she would add yesterday: she won silver in the floor exercise, surpassed by Andrade, and finished fifth on the beam after falling.
Brazilian Andrade (Sao Paulo, 25 years old) leaves with her own achievement: having managed to outperform Biles in at least one of the events. The competition has been fierce between them throughout the sporting event. It was in yesterday's floor final where she managed to outperform the American, although by a few tenths. She scored 14.166, compared to Biles' 14.133, who was penalized 0.6 for stepping out of bounds on two diagonals. The bronze went to the American Jordan Chiles. When receiving the medal, the two Americans bowed down in a beautiful gesture of recognition towards Andrade.
The balance beam exercise, which preceded the floor exercise, proved challenging for almost all athletes. Few managed to stay on the beam without slipping or stumbling, including Biles, who fell off the beam halfway through her routine. She finished fifth, while Andrade finished fourth.
The podium excluded the favorites. Italian Alice D'Amato won the gold, with a score of 14.366. The silver went to Chinese Zhou Yaquin, with 14.100, and the bronze to Italian Manila Esposito (14.000). This is Italy's first gold in this apparatus.
"Obviously, it wasn't my best performance," said Biles after the events. "But at the end of the day, whoever wins a medal, wins a medal, and that's what's so exciting, because you never know, it's gymnastics." "I have achieved much more than in my wildest dreams, not only in these Games but in the sport, so I can't be upset with what I do. A couple of years ago, I didn't even think about it," added the gymnast to the press.
There was some controversy because some delegations complained that during the balance beam exercise, there was excessive silence, which distracted them. D'Amato herself acknowledged without saying it that it had been "a somewhat strange final, competing with gymnasts like Simone or Rebeca and winning...".
From these Paris Games, it can be concluded that Rebeca Andrade would be the best current gymnast if Simone Biles had not returned. But she did return. Both share a similar background: Andrade is one of seven siblings. Her mother cleaned houses and, lacking time to take care of her, sent her to the gym. Biles' parents were addicts, and she was raised by her grandparents. Gymnastics has been a blessing for both of them. "Rebeca is amazing. She has made my performance in these Games better, I am very happy to see what she has achieved. I am excited for her," she said about her rival's gold.
"It's amazing, it was a completely Black podium, so it was very exciting for us, and then Jordan said 'should we bow down to her?' and I said 'of course,' that's why we did it," Biles explained about the gesture of kneeling before Andrade.
Andrade suffered three knee injuries, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament. She has shared that at her lowest moment, a certain Simone Biles approached her and encouraged her to continue.
Although she did not leave with two more gold medals yesterday, Paris has confirmed Biles as the most decorated gymnast of all time. She arrived not knowing how she would fare, after her withdrawal in Tokyo due to mental health issues. She leaves Paris with three golds (team, individual, and vault) and a silver. A journalist asked her about one of the legacies she leaves behind: that of having normalized talking about mental health in sports. She replied: "I think putting your mental health first and taking time for yourself, whether you practice sports or not, creates longevity. It is very important that we prioritize it," she said.
Biles has not made it clear if these will be her last Olympic Games or if she will go to Los Angeles, the next venue in 2028: "Never say never, but I am getting older," she responded on Saturday, after winning the gold in the vault. She is 27 years old and is the oldest gymnast in the competition. She will be 31 for the next event. "You have to stop asking us what comes after winning a medal. Let us enjoy the moment we have worked for our whole life."