A plethora of unforgettable moments have occurred throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, such as Céline Dion's jaw-dropping Opening Ceremony performance. But it was the women's gymnastics floor final that produced a moment that was both iconic and historic.
Brazil's Rebeca Andrade won the gold medal in the competition, while Team USA's Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles took silver and bronze, respectively. As a result, when the winners collected their prizes, they were part of the very first all-Black gymnastics podium at the Olympic Games.
Making history was not lost on the trio, who spoke to the press about honoring the significance of their wins. "We can show the Black Power," Andrade said, via AP. "I love myself, my skin color." She continued, "The idea is it serves as an incentive. Sometimes it may be more difficult for you because of you skin color. But you can do it, and we proved it’s possible."
Biles, who won one silver and three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, discussed her decision to bow down to Andrade at the podium with Chiles. "First, it was an all-Black podium, so that was super exciting for us," Biles told the press. "But then Jordan was like, 'Should we bow to her?' And I was like, 'Absolutely.'" Biles also shared that it felt like "the right thing to do" to honor the life-changing moment.
Despite losing out on the gold medal during women's floor final, Biles was in fantastic spirits after completing her last event. "I've accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics, but in this sport," Biles said at a press conference on August 5, via People. "So I can’t be mad at my performances. A couple of years ago I didn’t think I’d be back here at an Olympic game. So competing and then walking away with four medals, I’m not mad about it. I’m pretty proud of myself and it’s always so exciting to compete."
