"I'm tired; I'm gonna hand it to Rebecca Andrade now" - Simone Biles teases retirement following all-around victory at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles added another gold medal to her record medal tally at the Paris Olympics 2024, winning her 39th medal from the Olympic and World Championships. Following her victory, the nine-time Olympic medalist teased retirement, claiming she didn't want to compete with Rebecca Andrade anymore and would let her win the next all-around gold medal.

Biles and Andrade have been competing against each other since the 2016 Rio Olympics. Although it is the American who has reigned supreme in the rivalry, the Brazilian hasn't let the 27-year-old win easily.

Andrade beat Biles at last year's World Championships in the vault competition, and in the all-around event, the margin of victory for Biles was only 1.933. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, after the second rotation, Andrade looked like she was going to win before Biles made a roaring comeback. Nonetheless, the margin for the American gymnast was reduced to 1.199.

Following the tough competition from Rebecca Andrade, Simone Biles claimed that she didn't want to compete with the Brazilian anymore and was tired.

"I don't want to compete with Rebeca no more. I'm tired. She's way too close. I've never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes and it brought out the best athlete in myself. So I'm excited and proud to compete with her... but I'm getting uncomfortable guys. I don't like that feeling – I was STRESSED," she said in a press conference. (via Gymnastics Now)

Biles added that she was going to let Andrade win the next all-around titles, which would mean the 27-year-old may retire after the Paris Olympics. She had previously shared similar intentions with Andrade in a private conversation.

"It's good. I'm gonna hand it to her now – she can have the rest," Biles added.

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Simone Biles told Rebecca Andrade in a private conversation that Paris Olympics 2024 would be her final competition

Artistic Gymnastics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 6 - Source: Getty

Simone Biles hasn't made any public comments about her retirement. However, in a private conversation with Rebecca Andrade, she ‘confided that Paris would be her final competition’.

“I said, ‘No, girl, don’t do this,’” Andrade told Washington Post in an interview.

The Brazilian added that both of them wanted to win but they also rooted for each other.

“I know that she wants to win, but she will continue rooting for me,” she said. “And she knows that I want to win, but I’ll keep rooting for her.”

For now, Simone Biles and Rebecca Andrade will face each other at least thrice at the Paris Olympics. They will battle for gold medals in vault, floor and balance beam competitions.