Simone Biles shows true colours with podium gesture after missing out on Olympic gold
Gymnastics legends Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles displayed true sportsmanship and respect by bowing to Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade after she clinched Olympic gold on the floor in Paris. On Monday, Andrade made history by becoming the first gymnast to triumph over the usually unbeatable Biles in a major international competition’s floor final. She secured…
Gymnastics legends Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles displayed true sportsmanship and respect by bowing to Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade after she clinched Olympic gold on the floor in Paris. On Monday, Andrade made history by becoming the first gymnast to triumph over the usually unbeatable Biles in a major international competition’s floor final. She secured a score of 14.166, narrowly surpassing Biles’ score of 14.133.
Despite two out-of-bounds steps that might have cost her, Biles secured a commendable silver medal, adding to her impressive haul at the Paris Games. This marked her fourth medal in these Olympics and the 11th Olympic medal of her illustrious career. Standing alongside Chiles on the victory podium, Biles chose to honor Andrade’s victory uniquely.
As Andrade celebrated her triumph, Biles and Chiles genuflected in a theatrical bow to their victorious competitor. The backstory to this respectful gesture came to light when Biles recounted Chiles’ suggestion: “Should we bow to her?” Biles immediately agreed, saying: “Absolutely,” and expressed: “It was just the right thing to do,” showcasing their class and sportsmanship.
This heartfelt gesture from the American athletes won widespread admiration online, epitomized by one post that read: “A picture sufficient enough to tell about the true spirit of the Olympics.”
Even though gold eluded her in her top event, the 27-year-old icon Biles leaves the French capital with a sense of pride. She equaled Czechoslovakia’s Vera Caslavska for the second-most Olympic medals by a female gymnast, following her stellar performance in Paris.
After enduring a challenging time in Tokyo, Biles returned stronger, concluding this year’s Games with four additional medals. Reflecting on her journey, Biles shared, “I can’t be more proud of how I’ve done. I’m 27 years old walking away from these Games with four medals to add to my collection. Not mad about it.”
As she bids farewell to her time in Paris, Biles isn’t ruling out a future Olympics appearance. With her sights potentially set on Los Angeles 2028, she teased, “Never say never! The next Olympics is at home, so you just never know, but I am getting really old.”
If Biles competes and wins in LA at the age of 31, she would follow in the footsteps of Maria Gorokhovskaya of the Soviet Union, who clinched the all-around gold in 1952 at the age of 30, becoming the oldest woman to achieve this remarkable feat.
