Janice R. Andrews
PARIS — The silver medallist Simone Biles was positioned to the right. Bronze medallist Jordan Chiles stood to the left. There in the center stood Rebeca Andrade, the supermodel from Brazil who had almost won this Olympic competition by herself, defeating Team USA. She had finally taken home the gold, defeating Biles in the floor competition by a mere 0.033 points.
Biles could have been agitated. Many sportsmen would be. In what was probably her final Olympic competition, she arrived prepared to win an eighth all-time gold and exit victorious in front of a raucous audience ready to toast to her brilliance. Rather, during a warm-up pass, the pain in her left calf flared up once more. Maybe her back became tighter. Doctors examined her, but it was all a bit too much on Day 8 of an ongoing competition for a 27-year-old American female gymnast, the oldest since the 1950s.
Twice she went off the allowed path. Her performance fell short of her usual expectations. She was assaulted. She was defeated handily by a skilled gymnast. However, it seems like these Olympic games end with someone losing gold rather than getting silver much too frequently. The competition to reach the top of the podium is intense. The need for glory, complete and total, takes precedence.
However, Simone Biles had a very different perspective. Thus, in light of all she has accomplished for gymnastics during her career—pushing the boundaries of difficulty, speaking out about mental health, fighting to protect athletes from abusive physicians and coaches—this was just one more message she wanted to impart to the world. Thanks to Simone and Jordan, we have good sportsmanship. They applauded Andrade. They gave Andrade a hug. Together with Andrade, they rejoiced. They all stood on that podium after that.
“Should we give her a bow?” Chiles questioned Biles. “Definitely,” Biles retorted. Thus, they acted. No ill will. Avoid pouting. I have no regrets. Just be considerate.
“Rebecca truly amazes me,” Biles exclaimed. “She is the queen. It was the proper course of action.
A more fitting way to round off this gymnastics tournament could not have been Biles’s spectacular exit from the Olympics with yet another flawless tumbling sequence. If sports are meant to be about sincere competition and mutual respect, then this was exactly what was happening.
Chiles described Andrade as “a legend herself, an icon.” “I believe that everyone deserves recognition, especially those who have worked hard and shown devotion. .. She has not only given Simone her flowers over the years, but several of us in the US team have received our flowers from her as well. Thus, Chiles observed, “giving it back is what makes it so beautiful.” “I thought it was necessary,”
A sport like gymnastics may be isolating. days and days, weeks and years of frequently solitary training, a grind that never ends. In this sport, effort is the determining factor in all outcomes. The major tournaments happen only occasionally, perhaps four or six times a year. It seems like the world only takes notice once every four years.
This explains why geographical boundaries are so important. The same losses and sacrifices are what bind us together. Andrade is seen as one of them by Biles and Chiles, particularly since they are women of color in a field where they haven’t traditionally been represented.
According to Biles, “it was an all-Black podium.” “Well, that was really thrilling.” Respect for one another among rivals was another aspect of this. Over the past few years, Andrade had excelled. Two silvers and a bronze on Friday here in Paris, and a gold and a silver in Tokyo in 2021. She placed second overall in Tokyo behind American Suni Lee, and second overall behind Biles this past week in the 2023 World Championships. Never above, never below, but always close.
The American girls wanted to express their gratitude for the battle now that she was. “I adore Rebecca,” Biles declared. “She is simply incredible. I have nothing but praise for her. She always makes me think twice. She inspires me to provide my best work.
So what if Biles’s goal of winning, if not dominating, the floor final didn’t come to pass? She is tied for second place all-time among female gymnasts with 11 Olympic medals. She is tied for second place all-time with seven golds. What would she do—pout, stomp, act like a person unworthy of a silver medal? or become overly distressed at missing the podium entirely after falling off the beam earlier in the day?
“We are on day eight,” stated Cecil Landi, her coach. It’s been a long week, so she’s a little worn out both physically and mentally. On the floor, she made blunders. But even when you make errors, you manage to win a silver medal? That is really awesome.
Biles has always known that. “I have exceeded my highest expectations not only in this Olympics but also in my sport,” Biles remarked. I thus cannot be angry with my performances. I never would have imagined myself back here at the Olympic Games a few years ago. Taking part and gaining four medals, three of which were gold, she exclaimed. “I’m not upset over it. I’m not too bad at it.
self-assured. Jordan Chiles, her close buddy, makes her proud. And proud of the formidable (albeit kind) opponent who ultimately defeated her. Make a bow. Present to the world.
