Rebeca Andrade announces she will no longer compete in floor exercises

Brazil’s six-time Olympic medalist gymnast, Rebeca Andrade, 26, announced on Tuesday (12) that she will no longer compete in floor exercises. Speaking at the Rio Innovation Week at Píer Mauá in Rio de Janeiro, the athlete stated that her decision was motivated by pain and the need to preserve her health after undergoing five knee surgeries. ‘Floor exercises are the ones with the most impact. I am a 26-year-old athlete with a history of five knee surgeries. When we understand our limits, it is very important to respect them,’ she said. ‘I know you all love it when I perform floor exercises, but I can still showcase a lot on the other apparatuses.’ Although she plans to compete in this year’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia, in October, Rebeca emphasized that her preparation will be focused on the 2026 and 2027 World Championships – especially the latter, which offers qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. ‘This year, I am taking more care of my physical and mental health, not training as intensely,’ she explained. ‘This is crucial for the upcoming years, as we have at least one more Olympics ahead.’ At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rebeca won four medals, including gold in the floor exercise final. With her performance in the French capital, she became Brazil’s greatest Olympic medalist, surpassing Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael, both from sailing, by reaching a total of six podium finishes. Reflecting on Paris, she highlighted the historic all-Black podium in the floor exercise, with her on the top step, alongside Americans Simone Biles (silver) and Jordan Chiles (bronze). The two paid tribute to the Brazilian during the award ceremony, in a memorable scene from the mega event. ‘The representation and significance of that moment were enormous, not only for me but also for them. I wasn’t expecting what happened on the podium, they synchronously decided to honor me with that gesture, and I was very pleased by the huge amount of affection,’ she said. According to Rebeca, the gesture strengthened the friendship between the three, especially with Biles. ‘We respect each other a lot. Of course, we want to win, but the atmosphere is not hostile. When the other wins, it feels like I’ve also won, I feel represented. We are there competing, but also joking around, having fun.’ Apart from the celebratory atmosphere, there was already an indication in Paris that Rebeca’s award-winning floor exercise performance, set to the popular ‘Baile de Favela’ music, could be her last on the biggest stage of Olympic sports. At the time, she mentioned the pain caused by the routine. ‘I don’t need to prove anything to anyone anymore, you know? I’ve done everything I could within my sport; I am very proud of everything I have achieved,’ she said shortly after clinching the gold. In addition to her podium finishes in Paris, the gymnast won silver in the all-around and gold in the vault at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In World Championships, she has collected nine medals, including two in floor exercises: silver in Antwerp (2023) and bronze in Liverpool (2022). Her medical history includes three surgeries on her right knee after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in 2015 when she was still a teenager. In 2017, she underwent another operation due to the same injury. In 2019, on the eve of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, she experienced further knee problems, requiring yet another surgery.