When does a GOAT ever bow to another?
In the case of gymnast Simone Biles, the answer is Monday.
Biles, seen as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in gymnastics, and fellow U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles walked away with silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s floor exercise.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade not only garnered the gold, she also won the respect of her competitors, who bowed down to Andrade and grabbed her hands as she was awarded the gold medal.
At that point, Andrade became the most-decorated Brazilian athlete in history. She won four medals at this year’s Olympics — one gold, two silver, one bronze.
Biles appeared to be battling a calf injury. She also stepped out of bounds twice during her routine.
After he routine, she knew the gold was slipping away.
“I think she got that one. I think Rebeca got this one,” Biles said. “Oh, I’m scared.”
Biles scored 14.133, just behind Andrade’s score of 14.166. Chiles scored 13.766 and at first finished in fourth place.
After submitting an inquiry, the judges upped Chiles’ score with enough points to land her on the podium.
Biles continued to laud Andrade after stepping off the podium.
“I have so much respect for her. She’s such a good competitor,” Biles said. “She keeps me on my toes. It’s an honor to get to compete with her.”
Earlier, Biles talked about Andrade after Biles narrowly beat her in the women’s all-around finals. Andrade won the silver medal as Biles took the gold.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore! I’m tired. She’s very close to me — I’ve never had an athlete so close,” Biles said in a press conference. “This definitely kept me alert and brought out the best athlete in me. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her, but — no.”
“I’ve never been so stressed before. Thank you, Rebeca.”
