In a show of sportsmanship — and friendship — that has captured the world’s attention, American gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowed to their fellow competitor, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, as she stood atop the podium to receive the gold medal for the individual floor event.
Biles and Chiles received silver and bronze, respectively.
The moment marked the first time an Olympic podium was solely comprised of Black gymnasts, according to People.
In a postcompetiton interview, Biles revealed that bowing to Andrade was Chiles’ idea, and they decided to do it because it was “the right thing to do.”
“Rebeca, she’s so amazing, she’s queen,” Biles said in the interview.
“She’s an icon. She’s a legend herself,” Chiles added in praise of Andrade. “So I feel like being recognized is what everybody should do when it comes to somebody who’s put in the work, put in the dedication.”
Biles and Andrade have challenged each other throughout the Paris Olympics.
As previously reported by the Deseret News, during the all-around gymnastics event, Andrade almost beat out Biles for the gold medal after Biles underperformed on the uneven bars.
However, thanks to strong performances on the balance beam and the floor exercise, Biles managed to pull ahead and secure the gold medal. Andrade received silver.
In a postcompetiton interview, Biles talked about how stressful the day had been due to Andrade’s performance.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more. I’m tired, she’s way too close,” Biles said. “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.”
After the all-around competition, Andrade did not let up the pressure on Biles, which was on full display during the floor final.
Per the Olympics, Andrade won silver in the individual all-around and vault events, in addition to her gold in floor exercise.
Andrade also led Brazil to receive the country’s first team artistic gymnastics medal. They won bronze.
With the win Monday in floor exercise, Andrade became her country’s most decorated athlete in Olympic history, according to the Olympics.
In an interview, Andrade expressed her appreciation for how Biles and Chiles honored her.
“It was so caring from them,” Andrade told reporters in Portuguese, per the Olympics. “We were talking about everything that was going on (backstage). They are the best in the world. So a scene like that means a lot to me. It’s so grand and I feel so honored, we are always rooting for the best for all.”