Olympic viewers had nothing but respect for Simone Biles and her biggest rival Rebeca Andrade after the two embraced during the vault final.
Biles narrowly defeated the Brazilian athlete with a score of 15.3, which earned her another gold medal.
The 25-year-old Andrade won silver with a score of 14.9.
“Rebeca and Simone have so much respect for each other, they are the two best gymnasts out there… Simone makes Rebe want more and Rebe is too good to ever let Simone get too comfortable,” one fan wrote on X.
“I loved hearing Biles cheering Andrade on the beam. We need so much more of this spirit in sports,” added another.
Simone Biles and her biggest rival Rebeca Andrade embraced during the vault final on Saturday
Biles narrowly defeated the Brazilian athlete to add another gold medal to her collection
It came days after Biles won a gold medal in the all-around final, but she admitted Andrade hadn’t made it easy for her
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade forced Biles to “bring out the big guns,” she admitted after her victory.
‘I am excited and proud to compete with [Andrade]but I don’t like it anymore,” Biles joked during a press conference, revealing that she had been forced to “bring in the big guns.”
“I mean, I’m getting uncomfortable, guys. I don’t like that feeling. I was stressed,” she continued.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore. I’m tired. She’s way too close. I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on edge and brought out the best athlete in me.”
Andrade responded to Biles’ praise, telling reporters through an interpreter: “It was really cool to know that I put her through her paces, right? “It’s an honor to be able to compete alongside her.”
The 27-year-old finished ahead of Andrade and teammate Jade Carey to win her 7th gold medal
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore. I’m tired,” Biles joked earlier this week