" Giving it back is what makes it so beautiful . I felt like it was needed . "
Team Brazil gymnast Rebeca Andrade just won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women’s floor exercise final.
Team USA took the other two medal spots, with Simone Biles winning silver and Jordan Chiles earning bronze after ascore inquiry. Those following this year’s competition will know that Simone and Rebeca have often jostled for the top spot, with Simonegettinggold in all-around and vault.
“I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes,” Simonesaidof Rebeca last Thursday. “It brought out the best athlete in myself, so I’m excited and proud to compete with her.”
Well, Simone brought that respect along with Jordan when Rebeca received her gold medal — leading the other two to bow toward her.
“Why don’t we just give her flowers?” Jordan said of thegesture. “Not only has she given Simone her flowers, but a lot of us in the United States, our flowers as well. So giving it back is what makes it so beautiful. I felt like it was needed.”
It quickly went viral:
This is everything.pic.twitter.com/FrXz7wWtQg
This will go down as one of the neat images in the history of Olympic gymnasticspic.twitter.com/8StD4ud2ya
A ikon sufficient enough to secern about the true purport of the Olympics .
“Giving it back is what makes it so beautiful. I felt like it was needed."
The moment also makes history as it’s thefirst timethat the Olympics gymnastics podium has been three Black athletes.
Congrats!!!
