Get to Know Rebeca Andrade: The Gymnast Challenging Simone Biles
When Simone Biles competes for gold, she’ll have some fierce competition in Rebeca Andrade.
Even though the American GOAT recently secured another gold medal with her team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she still has the women’s gymnastics all-around finals ahead of her.
She will be up against Brazil’s top gymnast, Rebeca Andrade, a formidable competitor who made history at the Tokyo Games by winning silver, becoming the first South American woman to reach the all-around podium, and contributing to her team’s bronze medal in the team finals.
Raised in São Paulo, Brazil, with her seven siblings by her mother, Rebeca displayed a natural talent for gymnastics from a young age.
“I was always active as a child,” the 25-year-old shared with the International Federation of Gymnastics. “My aunt took me to the gym where she worked, and I started doing gymnastics. It was a fantastic experience. The gym felt like an amusement park.”
She attributes much of her success to the program, stating, “I believe that without the program, my talent wouldn’t have been recognized, and I might have just been a girl playing on the street.”