The gymnastics competitions at the Paris Summer Olympics wrapped up on Monday, August 5, during which Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade captured the floor exercise gold medal and was summarily bowed down to by her Team USA competitors Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles at the podium.
Biles, 27, secured three gold medals and one silver during the games, which many analysts believe constituted her last.
On Wednesday, Andrade and Team Brazil’s longtime gymnastics coach Iryna Ilyashenko shared her thoughts on Biles’ performance, which included an uncharacteristic fall during the balance beam final on Day 2 of the Olympics.
“I have never seen Biles fall the way she fell, you know?” Ilyashenko said. “I think she can’t take it anymore, she has reached her limit.”
Biles won gold in the individual all-around, team all-around and vault events in Paris. She was complimentary of Ilyashenko’s star gymnast Andrade throughout the tournament, perhaps sensing the challenge she would eventually pose.
Ilyashenko, who has coached Brazil since 1999, said that she believes the gold medal Andrade won in the floor final against Biles was a surprise.
“I have never seen Biles fall the way she fell, you know?” Ilyashenko said. “I think she can’t take it anymore, she has reached her limit.”
Biles won gold in the individual all-around, team all-around and vault events in Paris. She was complimentary of Ilyashenko’s star gymnast Andrade throughout the tournament, perhaps sensing the challenge she would eventually pose.
Ilyashenko, who has coached Brazil since 1999, said that she believes the gold medal Andrade won in the floor final against Biles was a surprise.
