Users Shocked That Gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Who Won Her First Olympic Gold in Floor, Was Seriously Injured Three Times – Explanation Here

Rebeca Andrade’s path to glory was far from smooth. She faced a huge hurdle in the form of injuries that could have ended her career. Yet, she persevered through the pain and worked so Paris 2024 could become her crowning achievement, and where she would face Simone Biles again.

These gymnasts’ rivalry goes way back, but their relationship is not what anyone would expect from such a ruthless sport. Therefore, people took to social media and YouTube to talk about them; some were shocked by Andrade’s tale of overcoming obstacles, and others had mixed opinions about her performance compared to Biles. Let’s find out more!

The Brazilian Prodigy

The athlete was born on May 8, 1999, and has become a legend in a relatively short time. She’s the most decorated Brazilian and Latin American gymnast ever, with six Olympic and nine World medals to her name.

Before this year, her impressive list of achievements included winning two silver medals and gold in vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021). But her success didn’t stop there.

Just a few months later, she clinched gold on vault and silver on uneven bars at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. The following year, in Liverpool, England, she made history again, becoming the first Brazilian to win all-around gold at the World Championships.

“I really wanted an achievement like this in the individual all-around, because I think that’s where I have the most chances with vaulting, as well,” Andrade revealed after the 2022 World Championships. “But having in my career, even just once in my life, being the most complete athlete in the world was very important to me. This gold is very important to me, so I am very happy.”

Beyond all her medals, what makes Andrade’s story more remarkable is that she’s one of only 11 female gymnasts to receive a medal in every event in World Championship history.

Therefore, she was already someone to watch out for before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Injuries That Could’ve Ruined Everything

Andrade’s journey to the top was nearly derailed by a series of devastating injuries. She suffered three ACL tears in 2015, 2017, and 2019. These setbacks would have been enough to end most careers, but not hers.

She had already overcome so much, like growing up in a humble family of 8 kids to a single mother and having to walk two hours every day to the closest gym to train because they couldn’t afford bus fare. Therefore, this gymnast was not going to back down.

The torn ACL in 2015 sidelined her for that year’s World Championships, but she made a triumphant return in 2016, which contributed significantly to Brazil’s Olympic qualification. However, her rising trajectory toward an all-around medal at the 2017 World Championships was abruptly halted by another devastating ACL tear.

Andrade’s coach, Francisco Porath, recalled her saying, “Xico, I don’t want it anymore.” But even in this low point, her fighting spirit prevailed. She didn’t give up. Instead, she underwent surgery and began preparing for another comeback.

Then, in 2019, during her floor routine at the Brazilian Nationals, Andrade suffered her third ACL injury to the same knee. This was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all.

According to her brother, Emerson Andrade, their mother couldn’t bear to watch and stayed away in the kitchen as Andrade cried in pain. Even her coach questioned if she should return after a third injury.

Andrade, however, defied all expectations. “I’ve thought it over, and I’m not going to give up,” she told Porath at the time. “I’m going to try again.”

These words encapsulate Andrade’s approach to her sport and her life. When asked what she had learned from her experiences, Andrade simply said it was about “resilience.”

The Comeback Before Paris 2024

After nearly nine months away from competition, Andrade made her return at the 2020 International Gymnastics Federation’s Baku World Cup. She finished third on uneven bars and second on balance beam, advancing to the finals in both events.

In October 2020, Andrade shared with Olympic Channel that she was “determined to come back.” She was also set on winning and believed things would work out unlike before. Every injury had driven her forward, and her goal always remained the same.

She explained, “I am always focused mainly on the competition, on what I have to do. I am a person who has already undergone many surgeries and everything, so I cannot afford to not be focused, whether in training, walking on the street, crossing the street at the crosswalk with the car stopped, you know. I have to always be paying attention to everything.”

Andrade’s efforts paid off. She not only made it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but also achieved historic success.

The Rivalry with Biles

The competition between Andrade and the US gymnast dates back to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they both made their Olympic debuts. While Biles dominated with four gold medals, Andrade left empty-handed.

However, their paths would cross again in a spectacular fashion.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Andrade turned the tables. She won gold in vault and silver in the all-around, while Biles secured silver and bronze medals. Meanwhile, the comparisons between them intensified as both kept earning awards at the same events.

In 2023, the Brazilian gymnast made headlines by outperforming Biles and claiming more medals to her collection at the World Championships.

However, despite their fierce gymnastics rivalry, there’s mutual respect between these two athletes. Biles has openly admitted that Andrade “scares her the most” out of all her competitors. After the 2023 World Championships, the US gymnast praised her:

“I actually love competing with Rebeca. She does push me, she makes me want to stick all my landings.”

Andrade shares this sentiment. The gymnast clarified that she believed Biles’ fear wasn’t negative; they both push each other to improve by working harder, and Biles’ statement was a positive reflection of their relationship.

This type of friendly and admiring competitiveness has become the highlight of their appearances this year because it showcases the best part of sportsmanship.

The Competition in Paris 2024

At the Paris Olympics, Andrade etched her name in history once again. She became the first Brazilian woman to win four Olympic medals, securing a silver in the individual all-around event.

“I’ve worked so hard to achieve this,” Andrade said. “It’s just unbelievable. I had so much fun; every single moment has been sensational.”

The all-around final on August 1 was a nail-biting contest between Andrade and Biles. The Brazilian gymnast’s consistency across all four apparatuses was impressive. In total, she finished just 1.199 points behind her rival.

However, Andrade pulled ahead of Biles at the floor exercise final on August 5 after Biles stepped out of bounds several times during her performance and was penalized. In the end, there was only a 0.033 advantage for the Brazilian athlete.

Meanwhile, the US gymnast also made a mistake on the balance beam, but in the end, she had enough points to win gold on team, all-around, and vault.

“Simone is the best, and she brings out the best of me,” Andrade told the media after the floor finals. Although, at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, the gymnast also said that giving “Simone a bit of work is cool, right?”

Andrade finished her time at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a bronze medal on the team all-around, two silvers for vault and artistic individual all-around, and the gold medal for the women’s artistic floor event.

Paris may also be her last all-around competition. “Doing the all-around, to me, demands a lot from my body, my lower limbs, legs, and knees,” she hinted. “But I said that the future belongs to God: What if something comes up in my head or my body gets better? I don’t know.”

This might be good news to Biles, who joked a few days before the finals that she “didn’t want to compete against Rebeca no more.”

Online Users Had Tons to Say

Andrade’s tale of resilience and perseverance has left online users shocked and in awe. Many marveled at her ability to power through adversity to achieve Olympic glory.

On ESPN W’s Instagram post, users expressed their admiration. Someone wrote, “Incredible story.”

Another follower added, “Walked 2 hours to be able to train in a 3rd world country mind you. What’s any of our excuse? Then on top of that tore her ACL 3rd🤯🤯 which I’m sure her walking 4 hours to train on top of training contributed to those injuries. This woman deserves all the praise and flowers [sic].“

Someone else said, “Wow. 3 acl… she is a fighter [sic]!“

Meanwhile, the friendly but fierce rivalry between Biles and Andrade also captured fans’ curiosity. On a video of Andrade’s exemplary performance, users added their thoughts.

Someone wrote, “Strange to say if Simone Biles was not there Rebecca will be a star! She is a star already [sic]!“

Another person wasn’t terribly impressed by the Brazilian gymnast. They wrote, “I don’t understand how this won gold and was better than Simone’s [sic].”

Another user simply stated the facts, “Rebeca Andrade Denies Simone Biles Her Fourth Gold Medal in Paris [sic].”

On a video of Biles making a mistake on the balance beam, a user commented, “Oh no. What happened. Don’t worry girl you are slaying [sic].”

Fortunately, most of the other comments were praising her. Similarly to Andrade for Brazil, Biles is currently the most decorated US gymnast, with 11 Olympic medals in total.

Only time will tell if Andrade will earn more accolades in her career. But one thing is certain: her journey from repeated injuries to Olympic triumph has not only inspired her fans but also shown the world the power of determination and resilience in sports.