Simone Biles is one of the most dominant Olympic athletes of all time.With that title, it’s not often that an opponent strikes fear into the heart of the American gymnast.
But before the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles admitted that there’s one opponent who “scares her the most.”Biles named Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade as the opponent who gives her the most concern heading into this summer’s games.
“Rebeca Andrade. She scares me the most,” Biles said.Andrade is the reigning world and Olympic vaulting champion. The Braziliangymnast claimed gold in the vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics following Biles’ withdrawal from the games.Andrade narrowly beat out Biles in the vault at the 2023 World Championships. Biles won gold in three other individual World Championship events, sharing the podium with Andrade in the individual all-around, balance beam and floor.
It’s about doing my best, and I hope [Biles] does, too, that she does her best because it’s an honor to be able to compete alongside her,” Andrade said of Biles in a recent interview.Women’s qualifying will begin on Sunday, July 28. The women’s vault final, which is likely to feature both Biles and Andrade, will take place on August 3.