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Simone Biles Reflects on Bowing Down to Rebeca Andrade With Jordan Chiles: ‘Sportsmanship’
Simone Biles reflected on bowing down to Rebeca Andrade alongside fellow Team USA member Jordan Chiles after the Brazil athlete won gold in the women’s floor exercise during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I think it’s all about sportsmanship, and we don’t care whether we win or lose,” Simone, 27, explained about the moment while appearing on the Today Show on Tuesday, August 6. “We’re always going to keep a good face and support our competitors because they’ve worked just as hard as we have for that moment.”
She added that it’s important to give others “their flowers.” Simone continued, “And that’s exactly what me and Jordan were doing, and we were so happy for her. She deserved it. She had the best floor routine of the day and in the Olympics. So it’s like, yeah, she deserved it.”
After Simone and Jordan, 23 – who placed in second and third – bowed down to Rebeca, 25, the gold winner extended both of her arms to hold their hands.
Shortly after the moment took place, many fans rushed to social media to gush about how sweet the gesture was. “Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles showed us what it means to compete with honor. The two USA gymnasts gave a bow to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade on the podium— as she won the gold medal. THIS is the kind of world I want to live in. Those two women make me proud to be an American,” one person wrote via X. Another chimed in that the snapshot captured of the bow was “the most spectacular image of the Paris games!”
An additional fan called Simone and Jordan’s decision to bow a “great example of appreciation, respect and sportsmanship.”
Jordan accepted the bronze after an inquiry was submitted regarding her score, which ultimately solidified her spot on the podium.
“She’s worked so hard for that moment. We really put those routines in, in training … no matter what pressure we’re under, they tried to make us hit as many routines as possible — like well done,” Simone said about Jordan, who she previously competed with during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. “And so just to see how excited Jordan was, and I knew that meant the world to her.”
Simone said that she “was so happy” for her teammate “because it’s been a long run and we’ve done this for so long together and competing again on an Olympic stage is crazy.”
Not only did they celebrate on the podium together, but Simone shared that she and Jordan had a special moment together when they returned to the Olympics Village. “Yesterday, once we got back to the village, I looked at Jordan and I just started bawling my eyes out,” she recalled. “She was like, ‘I knew it was gonna happen. I just didn’t know when!’ And I think it was just, I was so full of emotion and I finally released all of that.”
“I was so proud, happy, bittersweet that the journey is over. It’s so crazy, it happened so quick — my third Olympics,” the Ohio native added.
