“Gigantic community that was often prevented from dreaming”- Rebeca Andrade opens up on sharing podium with Simone Biles & Chiles at Paris Olympics

Rebeca Andrade expressed pride in sharing the podium with fellow Black athletes Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. Andrade won the floor gold, silver in the all-around and vault, and bronze as part of the Brazilian gymnastics team.

Andrade, the most decorated Brazilian Olympian in any discipline, shared the gymnastics mat with her arch-rival Simone Biles at the 2023 World Championships. She finished second in the individual all-around competition and gold in the vault, shifting the 11-time Olympic medalist to silver after she fell on her eponymous skill.

The Brazilian shared the all-around podium with Biles and Shilese Jones, the first all-black podium at a World Artistic Gymnastics event.

The nine-time World Championships medalist qualified for her second Games edition in Paris and was in contention with Biles again. She won the all-around silver behind the latter but surpassed her in the floor routine. Having earned 14.166, the Brazilian took the top podium spot and was hailed by her fellow Black gymnasts, Biles and Jordan Chiles, who bowed down to her.

As the Vogue Brazil cover star, Andrade sat in an exclusive with the fashion magazine, where she reached the viral Olympic moment and expressed delight in being a part of an all-black podium when her community continues to go through discrimination and is prevented from dreaming big.

"The girls felt that that moment was very special for me. It was a surprise that made me very happy, honored and I think it accomplished something huge. Three black women, athletes occupying a space where it was previously rare to see even one black person, imagine three!" she said.

"That single image represents a gigantic community that has often been prevented from dreaming. We have shown that it is possible. Look where we came from and everything we have achieved," Andrade added.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Brazilian won the gold in vault and silver in the all-around event.

Rebeca Andrade on the possibility of competing at 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Rebeca Andrade at the Paris Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

Rebeca Andrade talked about her mentality of postponing her return plans every time an Olympics concludes. The Brazilian hinted at competing at the Los Angeles Olympics, that will take place in 2028.

"Every time an Olympics ends , I say I won’t return to the next one. This year I was sure it would be my last, but I’m here and thinking about the possibility of going to Los Angeles 2028. But after that, for the love of God, give me a break, let me stop," she joked. (via Vogue Brazil)

Besides her exploits at the Olympics and World Championships, Rebeca Andrade has also impressed at the 2023 Pan American Games, winning two golds in the vault and all-around, and silver in the team event and uneven bars.