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Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared a post to her Instagram story celebrating the “first all-black gymnastics podium” in the history of the Olympics. As of August 7, the post was still visible in her story.
“The first all-black gymnastics podium in Olympics history,” the post reads. It was a share of a post from the Olympics’ official Instagram page. That post reads, “Representation is important. This moment speaks volumes to the world, allowing gymnasts from all backgrounds to visualize themselves on podiums. A huge moment for the history books, congratulations Rebeca, Simone, and Jordan! 🥇🥈🥉”
The photo is from the women’s floor exercise final, in which Rebeca Andrade of Brazil took the gold medal, Biles took the silver, and her teammate on Team USA, Jordan Chiles, won the bronze.
First Lady Michelle Obama Praised the Trio, Calling the Podium Appearance ‘This Beautiful Moment of Sisterhood’
In an X post, First Lady Michelle Obama praised the trio of Biles, Andrade, and Chiles, writing, “I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can just feel the love shining through these ladies. Congrats Rebeca, Jordan, and Simone! ✨”
She shared a widely circulated photo showing Biles and Chiles bowing down in respect for Andrade, who had her hands raised during the podium ceremony.
“I think it’s all about sportsmanship, and we don’t care whether we win or lose. We’re always going to keep a good face and support our competitors because they’ve worked just as hard as we have for that moment,” Biles told “The Today Show” of the moment.
“So you have to give them their flowers,” she continued to the show. “And that’s exactly what me and Jordan were doing, and we were so happy for her. She deserved it. She had the best floor routine of the day and in the Olympics. So it’s like, yeah, she deserved it.”
The Trio of Rebeca Andrade, Simone Biles & Suni Lee Also Made Olympic History
According to “The Today Show,” there has never been an all-black podium in men’s or women’s gymnastics before at the Olympics. In another historic first, earlier in the week, the trio of Andrade, Biles, and Suni Lee became “the first all-around gymnast podium to be comprised entirely of people of color,” The Today Show reported. Lee, also of Team USA, is of Hmong descent.
In a press conference, Biles praised Andrade’s skills, saying, “I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore! I’m tired. She’s very close to me — I’ve never had an athlete so close. This definitely kept me alert and brought out the best athlete in me. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her, but — no.”
As for Andrade, she is now “the most decorated Brazilian in Olympic history. In any sport,” Olympics.com reported.
“It was so caring from them,” Andrade told reporters in Portuguese, of the podium moment, according to Olympics.com. “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.
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