Jordan Chiles is sharing the inspiration behind her, Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade’s special moment on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When the athletes each medaled in the women’s gymnastics floor final on Monday, with Rebeca taking the gold, Jordan and Simone bowed to honor the Brazilian superstar on her first-place finish.
Jordan told Access Hollywood that the gesture was a way to honor everything Rebeca has put into where she is today.
“There’s a thing in life that people always say: we only train two weeks or three weeks to become an Olympian, but in reality, we’ve trained our whole life to become this amazing, talented, gifted person that we want to express to everybody,” she said. “So, in that moment, it was my idea, actually. I looked at Simone. I was like, ‘Should we bow down?'”
The two showed their respect as Rebeca raised her hands in the air in celebration, returning the love that she had already given them in Paris.
“As much as Rebeca has given us our flowers for the U.S., and she’s done so many great things within her country, within herself – like, this girl has I don’t even know how many medals at this rate,” Jordan said.
“She’s done a lot within her lifetime of being an athlete, and despite all of her injuries that she’s had previous, I think this showed she’s accomplished, and she felt good. Like, her raising her hands, I felt each and every emotion that was going through her brain then,” Jordan added. “So, it was needed just to give her her flowers, and I’m a girl’s girl. I’m going to give you your crown when it’s needed, ma’am. Like, there you go! Needed, and you deserve it. So, she deserved that moment.”
While Rebeca and Simone won gold and silver respectively, Jordan took home the bronze, marking her first individual Olympic medal.
“That was the first time I ever made an [individual] event final in the Olympics, so I was like, ‘This is crazy! This is beyond.’ … Me just carrying my medals around, I’m like, ‘There’s no way that I have two, and one’s for an individual event, so I’m really happy,” she said.
Jordan’s bronze medal win came after her coach Cécile Canqueteau-Landi submitted an inquiry to the judges, which resulted in them adding to her score for a skill that had not been counted.
Cécile had Jordan’s back on social media when, following the event, one commenter claimed that she had “cheated” so that the athlete could medal.
“I shouldn’t have to explain but I will ONCE,” she wrote back on Instagram. “Jordan’s highest possible [Start Value] on floor is a 5.9 – At quals and team finals she received a 5.8, and we didn’t question it, because we saw that not all elements were completed.”
Cécile said that she sent the inquiry during the floor finals with Jordan so that she “wouldn’t regret not asking.”
“Jordan won this bronze medal and didn’t steal anything from anyone. I simply did my job and fought for my athlete … You don’t have to like it, but you do have to respect the outcome and more importantly respect Jordan and not drag her down because you disagree,” she added. “She EARNED that bronze medal, her 1st individual Olympic medal, and I couldn’t be more proud and excited!”
While speaking to Access, Jordan reacted to Cécile coming to her support on social media.
“I think of Cecile as another mom,” she shared. “She’s done so much for me just within my gymnastics and within my confidence for myself. When I first moved to Texas, I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know anything like that.'”
“So having her by my side, sticking up for me, I think it’s really cool, because you never know with what social media– Social media just sucks in general. Like, I don’t like it. Everybody’s a bully bot. There’s no point of having social media in my eyes,” she added. “But I appreciate what she did, and I can’t thank her enough. Cause you know, with times like that, it does get hard, mentally, physically, emotionally for a lot of people, so I do thank her for that.”
Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles & Team USA Gymnasts Win Gold At 2024 Paris Olympics
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