Michelle Obama has defended Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles after they bowed in honor of Rebeca Andrade after the Brazilian earned gold at the Paris Olympics - as the act was deemed "disgusting" by one NFL player.
The pair of American medallists showed their admiration for their counterpart with the rare gesture on the podium following the women’s floor exercise final. Although Biles had been expected to prevail in the event, the triumph was ample reward for Andrade who picked up the top prize for the first time this summer.
The star from Sao Paulo added the gold to her previous one in the vault event in Tokyo three years ago, having also won two silver medals and a bronze in Paris. However, the decision of Team USA pair Biles and Chiles to show deference to their peer did not go down well with everyone - with NFL cornerback Marlon Humphrey among the critics of their gesture.
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The Baltimore Ravens star was left irked by their behavior in honoring their rival as she earned her first gold of the Games - having entertained the masses this summer with her displays. The disgruntled three-time Pro Bowler was not a fan of their act, as he said on Twitter/X: "This is literally disgusting."
Now, former United States First Lady Obama has waded into the debate as she gave the converse stance on the matter in a supporting address. She said: "I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can just feel the love shining through these ladies. Congrats Rebeca, Jordan and Simone!"
The memorable moment on the podium went down well with Andrade who was left visibly touched by the gesture of her respectful contemporaries. She admitted afterwards: "It was very cute of them. They are the world’s best athletes. What they’ve done means a lot to me. I feel honoured."
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"Actually, we are always rooting for each other. We all know how difficult it is to take part in the Olympics ," she said, as she explained what the dynamic is like between the leading stars of gymnastics at the Games. "The final was difficult for everyone. Therefore, I’m very happy I was able to win."
As for Biles, she spoke of her pride after her Brazilian rival earned a gold to cap off an entertaining set of performances across the summer. She said: "She’s so amazing, she’s a queen. First, it was an all-Black podium, Jordan was like, ‘shall we bow to her?’ And I said absolutely. She’s so exciting to watch. All the fans cheering for her. it was the right thing to do."
With the floor exercise final represented first all-Black podium in men’s or women’s gymnastics history. Speaking about this, Biles said: "That was great. We already had that at the World Championships, and now to be able to do it at the Olympics means that we show the Black power.
"We can make it happen. They will either applaud us or will have to swallow it. I love myself, I love my skin colour, but I’m not focused on that. Rebeca goes beyond her colour. The same goes for Simone and Jordan."
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