RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rebeca Andrade had a third ACL surgery in her right knee five years ago. That almost stopped her career right there, before she even made it to the Olympics.
It turns out she wasn’t quite done. Not even close.
Andrade has big plans for the Paris Olympics after she won two medals in gymnastics at the Tokyo Games. The 25-year-old Andrade, who was born and raised in a favela outside Sao Paulo, is looking to return to the podium while competing against her friend Simone Biles, and she wants to inspire more Black girls like her back home in Brazil.
The Paris version of Andrade is a more ambitious and effective gymnast than the one who competed in Tokyo. She has more experience when it comes to competing in big events, including a memorable gold medal in vault at the Pan American Games in Chile last year.
She has reached a level of fame in her home country where young girls are buying Barbie dolls inspired by her success.
To keep the stardom going, Andrade is bringing a simple approach to France: Forget every single rival she will face, Biles included. She has avoided answering questions about the American star for months.
“I don’t think at all about the others. If I am focused on what they are doing, I am not focused on me,” Andrade told The Associated Press. “I had so many surgeries. I cannot afford to not be focused. Even if it is me listening to music, walking on the street, I am focused on that when I am doing it.”
At age 20, Andrade was already a fan favorite because of her contagious smile. But, amid a series of injuries, she grew concerned about her readiness for Tokyo. She wasn’t sure she would be able to reach the accomplishments of her hero, Daiane dos Santos, Brazil’s first female gymnast to win a gold medal in a world championship.
But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Summer Games back to 2021, and Andrade’s knee held up just fine. She became the first Brazilian woman to win Olympic medals in artistic gymnastics; gold in the vault competition, and silver in the individual all-around. She is up to nine medals in world championships, including three golds.
“I am much more mature both as a person and as an athlete,” Andrade said. “I was just a girl who had some experience, but after Japan I continued to evolve. And that made me better in the gym, I can feel every event and I want to be in every event.”
Chico Porath, Andrade’s coach, is looking forward to watching her take on Biles in vault.
While Biles is a high-flying marvel in the event, Andrade scored 15.333 points on an impressive Cheng vault in the final at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
“We need to go easy, we cannot miss the execution. That is going to be key,” Porath said. “Rebeca and Simone are friends and that will make it a more fun competition to watch. They are super talents, and there will be other super talents there, too.”
Andrade’s vault plans for Paris are unclear at the moment. A video shared by Brazil’s gymnastics confederation with journalists on Tuesday shows the Olympic champion attempting a triple twist Yurshenko, which hasn’t been successfully completed by a woman in competition.
Andrade and the Brazilian confederation have not commented on the video since it was published.
If Andrade wins four more medals at the Games, she will become Brazil’s most decorated Olympian. Sailors Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael, both retired, have five.
She hopes to reach the historic medal count for her country by focusing on her performances in the uneven bars, one of her weak spots. She is among the podium favorites for vault and floor exercise, and she also should be in the mix in both the team and individual all-around competitions.
“I have every medal I wanted to have, but going there to compete with my team does show how much I want to be there. The results will be a consequence,” Andrade said. “Everyone wants to win medals. I am not saying that I don’t, but the main thing is for you to have that craving. The craving to win yourself, and not because people want you to.”
