Latest news with #RebecaAndrade
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
The vault in our stars: Rudraneil Sengupta on Indian gymnastics
'If you knew my story, you would never believe that I would become the greatest Olympic athlete from Brazil,' Rebeca Andrade, 25, Brazil's most decorated Olympian and the most successful Latin American gymnast of all time, said last week. Seated next to legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci, she had a room full of journalists enthralled in Madrid, a day ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony. Funny, charming and open to giving long, detailed, deeply felt answers to every question asked of her, Andrade is a journalist's dream come true. She won the Laureus Comeback of the Year award for recovering from not one, not two, but three ACL surgeries (the all-important ligament that runs across the knee joint) to win a spate of medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and the world championships in-between. At the Paris Olympics, she was at the centre of what would become a defining moment of the Games: as she stood on the podium with her gold for the floor event, alongside the US's Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, and Jordan Chiles, they turned to her, went down on their knees and bowed. Together, they had formed the first-ever all-black podium in Olympic gymnastics. 'A truly historic moment,' Andrade said, the day before the Laureus awards. 'It still gives me the goosebumps when I think about it. I am not one to cry a lot. I'm a happy, joyful person. Sometimes I smile so much that my cheeks hurt. But that day I cried.' Andrade's big breakthrough came at the Tokyo Olympics, where she became the first gymnast from South America to win a medal (a silver in the all-around category), then topped that with a gold in the women's vault a few days later. In Paris, she upped her game: four medals, including a repeat of the all-around silver, and the gold in the floor event. 'I came from a favela. We were eight brothers and sisters, being brought up by a single mother who worked as a maid,' Andrade said last week. 'But we never thought of our life as hard. We lived with joy, and we dreamt, and we believed in our dreams.' Raised in the slums of Guarulhos, on the outskirts of Sao Paolo, Andrade stumbled into gymnastics as a four-year-old; her aunt got a job as a cleaner at a gymnasium, and took her along, coincidentally, on a day when tryouts were being held. The little girl participated, and was admitted to a government-funded programme for young talent. Her mother couldn't always afford to give her bus fare, so Andrade sometimes walked two hours each way, along hilly roads, to get to her training centre. Her elder brother, Emerson Andrade, would accompany her. As she trained, he collected cardboard and scrap metal from the area, to sell. In this way, he eventually saved enough to buy a bicycle, so he and Andrade wouldn't have to walk all the way. As Rebeca Andrade's talent became apparent, the government, charitable institutions, sports institutes, family and friends, stepped in to help. 'The people around me, they were the ones who believed in me… my talent, who I was as a person, my potential. They believed in my dreams. I needed them. I needed all those people around me to get the results,' she says. Listening to her, I thought of Dipa Karmakar, 31. Even after she made history with a gold at the Asian Championships and became the first Indian gymnast to compete at the Olympics (Rio, 2016), nothing much changed in her life. Just as nothing much changed for Pranati Nayak, 30, an elite gymnast who also qualified for an Olympics (Tokyo 2020). Nothing much has changed, in fact, in the way gymnastics is run in India. Karmakar and Nayak, like Andrade, grew up fighting poverty and all its burdens, and scripted improbable success. Sadly for them, their sport is run, here at home, by a Gymnastics Federation of India so cash-strapped and so clueless that it demanded state federations pay for accommodation and food for their athletes, at the national championships. Why can't our stories be more like Andrade's? (To reach Rudraneil Sengupta with feedback, email rudraneil@
Boston Globe
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Simone Biles undecided on competing at LA Olympics, says 2028 ‘seems so far away'
'I've accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.' The 28-year-old American will be in Los Angeles for the Games, but does not yet know in which capacity. 'Whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still don't know that,' she told L'Equipe. 'But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.' Advertisement The American gymnast won three gold medals and a silver at the Paris Olympics, taking her career tally to seven Olympic golds and 11 medals overall. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But her body cracked from the strain. 'I went back to the village, I took the elevator and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days,' she said, before recounting another experience. 'The other day, we were sprinting in the garden with friends, I had aches and pains for three days. So, I honestly don't know. We'll see.' She praised her rival, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, for recovering from injury and for 'pushing me beyond my limits,' but also said gymnastics no longer needs both of them. Advertisement 'It only needs one of us, no? Especially since (Andrade) will not be alone,' Biles said. 'A young generation will knock at the door and everything will start again.' The interview took place before Monday's Laureus Awards in Madrid, where she was named sportswoman of the year. Whatever she decides regarding her career, Biles will continue to speak about mental health. 'I am very proud of the work accomplished to reach this point,' she said, 'and I will continue to be the voice of the voiceless.'
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Simone Biles And Rebeca Andrade Crowned At 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 01: Olympic Champion and Gold Medal Winner Simone Biles of Team United States ... More with Rebeca Andrade of team Brasil competes on unever bars during the women's Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Final on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images) Two of the biggest names in women's artistic gymnastics have reached the top of the podium once again: Simone Biles (USA) and Rebeca Andrade (BRA). The two Olympic Champions received honors at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards held Monday in Madrid, Spain. Event organizers designate the Laureus World Sports Awards as 'the most prestigious honours in sports,' intended to celebrate 'the greatest athletes in the world.' The Laureus World Sports Academy determines the winners annually, with 69 'sporting legends' casting their votes to determine victors. Among those casting their votes were Olympic Champion Nadia Comăneci (ROU), the first athlete to score a perfect ten in women's gymnastics, and four-time Olympic Champion, men's gymnast Li Xiaopeng (CHN). Biles was nominated for Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, along with Aitana Bonmatí (ESP) – Football, Sifan Hassan (NED) – Athletics, Faith Kipyegon (KEN) – Athletics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) – Athletics, and Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) – Tennis. For the third time in her career, Biles won the award. She had previously won the title in 2016 and in 2020, both honoring her Olympic achievements in the respective years. The Laureus Academy provided a statement highlighting Biles' accomplishments: '(Biles) called the Paris Games her 'Redemption Tour' after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics and taking a break from the sport, and she delivered in stunning fashion," the Academy states. 'As well as clinching the second all-around gold medal of her illustrious career, she won gold in team and vault – where she performed her celebrated Biles II, a Yurchenko double pike – and silver in the floor exercise.' MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 21: American artistic gymnast Simone Biles (L), Romanian former gymnast Nadia ... More Comaneci (C) and Brazilian artistic gymnast Rebeca Andrade attend Laureus World Sports Academy awards in Madrid, Spain on April 21, 2025. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images) "Her lifetime total of 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals makes her the most decorated gymnast in history. She has won the prestigious Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award three times and last year won the Comeback of the Year Award.' The only woman to challenge Biles for the 2024 Olympic all-around title claimed an award of her own on Monday. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, the country's most decorated gymnast and two-time Olympic Champion, was honored with the award for Laureus World Comeback Of The Year. Andrade won the award over fellow nominees Caeleb Dressel (USA) - Swimming, Lara Gut-Behrami (SWI) - Alpine Skiing, Marc Márquez (ESP) - Motor Cycling, Rishabh Pant (IND) - Cricket, and Ariarne Titmus (AUS) - Swimming. Andrade's success in Paris is particularly astounding given her extensive injuries. The Academy cited Andrade's three major knee injuries as reasoning for her nomination, along with concerns that she would not return to full health in time for Paris. Instead, Andrade exceeded expectations, leading Brazil to its first time medal in history and claiming three individual medals, including a gold medal on floor exercise. 'With a history of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, Andrade has suffered several setbacks in her career, forcing her to consider giving up gymnastics," the Academy states on its website. 'The brilliant Brazilian had won a gold and silver medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, but she scarcely competed in 2024 and there was concern whether she would make it to Paris. However, her resilience and determination paid off and she won gold in the floor exercise, silver in the all-around and vault, and bronze in the team event." "Having won a career total of six Olympic and nine World Championship medals, she is the most decorated Brazilian and Latin American gymnast of all.' PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 5: Rebeca Andrade of Team Brazil (L) and Simone Biles of Team United States ... More (R) look on for results during the Women's Balance Beam Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by André Ricardo/Eurasia) After an unprecedented run in the sport of gymnastics, retirement remains an open question for the 23-time World Champion from the Houston area. "I've accomplished so much, there's almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I'm at a point in my career where I'm humble enough to know when to be done." Biles told Sports Illustrated earlier this year. While the 28-year-old has not ruled out a shot at the 2028 Olympics—her first on home soil—she has stated a desire to experience a life outside gymnastics, especially alongside her husband Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Chicago Bears. Conversely, her close friend and competitor Andrade remains in the gym, training for more international accolades. Sporting 10.8 million followers on Instagram, Andrade's success has catapulted her from gymnastics star to celebrity. Despite her newfound celebrity status, the 25-year-old from Sao Paulo confirmed her commitment to training at today's event. She has her sights set on the World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the fall. 'I'm going to train for this Worlds, I hope everything goes well and I get good results,' she told Though Andrade vows that she is 'not even talking about being on the podium," any title is within reach for one of the sport's all-time greats.
