2024-08-06 03:01:00
The Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won Olympic gold on Monday in the floor exercises and wrote a new chapter in the sporting history of her country and our continent. It was no less than the fourth medal that Andrade won at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the sixth Olympic podium that she has been part of in her career. And as if that were not enough, she left the big favorite, American Simone Biles.
Rebecca chose the funk song “Favela Dance” Biles was awarded a score of 14.166, above the 14.133 later obtained by Biles, who twice stepped out of the ring during her routine and paid dearly for those mistakes. Bronze went to fellow American Jordan Chiles, with 13.766 points, after a 14.133 score. revision requested by the American team that left the Romanian Ana Barbosu without a medal – she even celebrated – and It generated public repudiation from the legendary Nadia Comaneci, who was present at the stadium.
Andrade climbed to the top of the podium while Biles (who left Paris with three golds and has seven in her career) and Chiles received her with a bow, in an image that traveled the world and will remain engraved in memory. in Olympic history as one of the most notable examples of sportsmanship.
“I knew my possibilities and I gave it my all. I was fighting to finally get a gold, because I wanted it with all my strength. “I’m very happy to have achieved it,” said Andrade after the historic victory.
The 25-year-old Brazilian star thus won her first gold in Paris in the final event of artistic gymnastics at Paris 2024 and after missing out on an incredible opportunity in the previous category, the balance beam. In this event, Biles suffered an unexpected fall and finished fourth, which meant that everything pointed to Andrade, who came next, taking the gold. But the judges gave the South American athlete a surprisingly low score.who was left off the podium, led against all odds by the Italian Alice D’Amato.
Rebeca Andrade, from the favela to Olympic gold
Rebeca Andrade was born and raised in a favela on the outskirts of São Paulo. She started practicing artistic gymnastics thanks to a social project for sports initiation which was held near her home. On Monday, she became her country’s most successful Olympic medallist with two golds (the other in individual diving in Tokyo), three silvers and one bronze.
During her sports career, Rebeca had to overcome various adversities, including complicated knee operations which made her doubt her continuity in international competitions.
“I underwent many surgeries. I can’t afford not to concentrate. “Even when I’m listening to music or walking down the street, I’m focused,” the gymnast told The Associated Press before the start of her competition in Paris 2024.
Regarding her colleague Simone Biles and the challenge of competing against the American gymnast, Rebecca said: “I don’t think about the others at all. If I focus on what they do, I don’t focus on myself.”
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