Simone Biles says gymnastics rivalry with friend Rebeca Andrade has ‘pushed the sport forward’

Simone Biles says gymnastics rivalry with friend Rebeca Andrade has ‘pushed the sport forward’

Simone Biles may be considered one of the greatest gymnasts in history, but the American still credits the impact that her Brazilian rival Rebeca Andrade has had on the sport.

The two have grown close while competing against each other on the biggest stages and, in an interview with CNN Sports, Biles said their friendly rivalry has taken gymnastics to another level.

“I feel like we’ve pushed the sport forward in difficulty so much and I think our friendship, our camaraderie out there and our difficulty has been super exciting to see because we’re doing things that the gymnastics community never thought they’d ever see,” Biles told CNN at this year’s Laureus Awards in Madrid.

“To go out there from two different countries, two Black girls, it’s really incredible and an honor.”

Simone Biles won Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards on April 21, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
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On Monday, Biles received her fourth Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award after winning three golds and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Meanwhile, Andrade won the Laureus Comeback of the Year Award after the Brazilian battled serious injury to compete in Paris last year – earning a gold, two silvers and a bronze – to become Brazil’s most decorated Olympian of all time.

The 25-year-old had previously considered quitting the sport after suffering from three ACL tears in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Through grit and determination, though, Andrade shot back to the top of the sport and her gold medal moment in Paris led to one of the defining images of the Games, with Biles and US star Jordan Chiles bowing down to Andrade on the podium.

“We just love competing with Rebeca and win or lose it’s always with grace,” Biles said Monday, reflecting on the iconic moment.

“It just felt right in that moment to do that to Rebeca, just because she is such a legend in gymnastics, and I think this is just the beginning of her career. I think she has a couple more under her belt and she’s just incredible.”

Future of women’s sport
Biles has previously admitted that Andrade is the gymnast that “scares” her the most in competition and said the Brazilian’s talent has forced her to keep getting better.

That rivalry was there for all to witness in Paris and, according to Biles, it only served to advance women’s sport even further.

“Women’s sports have done amazing in the past couple of years and I think it’s just the beginning for women’s sports as well,” she said.

“I think we’re going to start gaining more and more respect and I think that’s exactly what we need.”

Andrade and Biles high-five after the women’s artistic gymnastics vault final at the Paris 2024 Olympics in August.
Andrade and Biles high-five after the women’s artistic gymnastics vault final at the Paris 2024 Olympics in August. Rodolfo Buhrer/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
It’s still unclear whether the world has seen Biles competing at an Olympic Games for the last time.

The 28-year-old is yet to decide whether she will seek to participate in Los Angeles in 2028, but told Sports Illustrated earlier this year that competing in another Games would be “greedy.”

More recently, she told French sports outlet L’Equipe that she would need to be “excited” by the opportunity to compete if she was going to participate in Los Angeles.

She also noted concerns over her body’s ability to keep pushing at the top level, noting that her body “literally collapsed” after competing at Paris last year.

Naturally, then, Biles has thought about what life after gymnastics could look like and told CNN Sports that she wouldn’t be against trying her hand at team ownership at some point.

“Oh my gosh, I think that would be so much fun just because, again, to give back, to lead, to be a mentor, it would be really fun,” Biles said, when asked whether she would ever consider investing in a women’s sports team one day.

“I think that’s super exciting, to push women’s sports forward, to gain ownership, and to just show how powerful we are on and off the courts, floors, whatever that sport is.”