Gymnastics: Olympic champion Rebeca Andrade definitively gives up competing on floor to protect her health

The 26-year-old Brazilian won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on August 5, 2024, ahead of American Simone Biles.

" I will no longer do floor exercises." Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade announced on Tuesday, August 12, her permanent retirement from the floor exercise, of which she is the reigning Olympic champion , in order to preserve her health ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. " The floor is what causes the most impact ," she said at a conference in Rio, quoted by the Brazilian press, including CNN Brazil .

" I'm a 26-year-old athlete with five knee surgeries. When we understand our limits, it's essential to respect them. I know you love it when I do floor exercises, but I can still show a lot on other apparatus, " continued the São Paulo native, who caused a sensation in Paris by beating American legend Simone Biles, eleven-time Olympic medalist, including seven titles, on floor.

Multiple knee injuries between 2015 and 2019 jeopardized her career before she became one of the world's best gymnasts. "I'm taking better care of my physical and mental health (...) It's crucial for the coming years, when we have at least one more Olympics ahead of us," explained the Brazilian athlete with the most medals in Olympic history, both men and women combined, with six Olympic medals, including two gold. Very popular in her country, Andrade is currently preparing for the world championships scheduled for October 19-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia.