US' Simone Biles (silver), Brazil's Rebeca Andrade (gold) and US' Jordan Chiles (bronze) pose during the podium ceremony for the artistic gymnastics women's floor exercise event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris. Abaca Press

Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles explain bow to Rebeca Andrade on Olympic podium

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated Aug 5, 2024 2:53 PM ET

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles are letting everyone know how their viral podium moment came to be.

The U.S. teammates lit up social media on Monday as photos of them bowing to Brazil's Rebeca Andrade made the rounds. Biles and Chiles captured silver and bronze in the floor final of the women's gymnastics competition as Andrade won gold, becoming the first gymnastics podium featuring all Black athletes in Olympic history.

"She's an icon and a legend herself, so I feel like being recognized is what everyone should do when it comes to somebody who's put in the work," Chiles said of Andrade in a presser following the event.

The story behind Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles’ viral bow to Rebeca Andrade after she won gold on floor at #Paris2024 #artisticgymnastics #olympics pic.twitter.com/go3E7rQ1aq
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) August 5, 2024

Biles, who has become the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history, broke down how the viral moment came to be.

"It was an all-Black podium, which was super exciting. And then Jordan said 'Should we bow to her?' And I was like 'absolutely,'" Biles recalled with a smile, adding of Andrade: "She's a queen."

Rebeca Andrade wins GOLD in the floor final to become the most decorated Brazilian Olympian of ALL TIME. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/g96WoH442y
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2024

Andrade, 25, previously won two silver and a bronze before winning her first gold on Monday.

The United States gymnastics teams combined for 10 medals at the Paris Games, three of them gold. The U.S. leads the overall medal count at the 2024 Sumer Olympics at 75.

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