Not once or twice, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade tore her ACL thrice. The first of those happened in 2015 when Rebeca had to miss the World Championships that year. She came back in 2016 and helped Brazil to qualify for the Olympics. 2017 was supposed to be her year when she came to the World Championships as one of the main contenders for an all-around medal. However, she re-injured the same ACL while in Montreal and had to withdraw from the competition.

In 2018, she was still recovering from that injury and could not compete in the all-around at Worlds. She came back to the all-around in the beginning of 2019 and earned a massive 56.932 score at the DTB-Pokal Team Challenge. However, the season was cut short after she sustained another ACL injury (to the same knee) during her floor routine in qualification at the Brazilian Nationals. She needed another surgery to repair the ligament and was scheduled to return to training in about six months, which took her out of Worlds, jeopardizing Brazil’s chances of qualifying in the Tokyo Olympics.

But Rebeca was not the one to back out. The qualification eventually came at a do-or-die Pan American Championships in June 2021. “I’ve overcome a lot of things and each time I overcame something tough, I was more determined to come back, I wanted to win even more. And I believe it won’t be different,” Rebeca had said about coming back repeatedly. The valiant effort did not go in vain as she picked up the vault gold in Tokyo. But there was a little something that probably remained unattained there.

Simone Biles had withdrawn from the competition for her ‘twisties.’ So Rebeca had that so-called unfinished business at her hand in Paris. This time, she held off the GOAT, picking up the gold medal in the floor exercise routine. Now, seven months after her heroics in Paris, Rebeca stands on the verge of having a huge recognition for all she has done make her way through the debacles.

If sports had their version of the Oscars, it would be the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards. The nominees were just revealed and Rebeca has made it to the list. “At the Paris Olympics, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won gold in the floor exercise, silver in the all-around and vault and bronze in the team event – a stunning success which belied a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injuries,” the official press release recognized. The winners will be announced in Madrid, Spain, on April 21, 2025.

The world has not yet forgotten that Simone once admitted Rebeca “scares me the most.” Turns out, she had a good reason to say that! The list also includes Caeleb Dressel (USA, Swimming), Lara Gut-Behrami (Switzerland, Alpine Skiing), Marc Marquez (Spain, Motorcycling), Rishabh Pant (India, Cricket), and Ariarne Titmus (Australia, Swimming). If Rebeca comes out as winner, it will somehow connect her path to her greatest rival Simone, who had her own demons to fight back. “I wanted to quit like 500,000 times, and I would have if it weren’t for my people.” Simone Biles said in 2024. With this exemplary zeal, the two probably lifted the sport of gymnastics to new heights.

Simone and Rebeca remain each other’s toughest competitors. But they are each other’s biggest champions as well. Just think about that iconic moment on the floor exercise podium. After Rebeca won the gold, Simone and Jordan Chiles (who was awarded the bronze medalist at that point) bowed to her on the podium. “She’s such an excitement to watch, and then all the fans in the crowd always cheering for her, so it was just the right thing to do,” Simone had later said. And yet, that was not the first time.

 “I actually love competing with Rebeca,” Biles said after the 2023 World Championships, adding that Andrade is “a phenomenal gymnast.” “She does push me. She makes me want to stick all my landings.” In a TikTok GRWM before the individual all-around final in Paris, which took place on August 1, Simone admitted being nervous, in large part because of Andrade. “Let me just tell y’all—Rebeca’s good, bro. She is good,” she said. “I haven’t had competition like this in a while.” On the other hand, Rebeca also has only respects to offer for Simone.

As she had said to The Washington Post, she’s long looked up to Biles, who has often gone out of her way to offer an encouraging word. After Andrade’s second of three serious knee injuries, in 2018, Simone took her aside and told her she was too good to give up. And when Rebeca edged out Simone to win the vault at the 2023 World Championships, the latter mimicked taking a crown off her own head and putting it onto the Brazilian’s. “I’ve grown such affection for her,” Andrade told the Post. Looks like all the rivalry fades at this point. Meanwhile, in the 2025 Laureus Awards, alongside Rebeca, Simone will also get her chance to shine.

Simone Biles looks to steal the show

The Laureus World Sports Awards and Simone Biles? Yeah, they go way back. In 2024, she took home the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award after making an epic return to gymnastics following a two-year break for mental health reasons. And let’s not forget—she’s already a three-time Sportswoman of the Year winner (2017, 2019, 2020). So, adding another trophy to her collection? Just another day for the GOAT. And now, in 2025, she’s back in the mix, this time nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award—one of the biggest honors in sports.

The Olympic superstar reacted to the big news on Instagram. She posted on March 4, “I’m so incredibly honored to be included in this list of amazing nominees!! ❤️✨ #Laureus25 @laureussport.”

The Laureus Global Media Panel—a group of 1,300 sports journalists—cast their votes back in December, so the competition is already set. The competition field is extremely tough. The competition for Biles includes notable champions Aitana Bonmati (Football from Spain), Sifan Hassan (Athletics from the Netherlands), Faith Kipyegon (Athletics from Kenya), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Athletics from the United States) and Aryna Sabalenka (Tennis from Belarus). With a lineup like that, it’s anyone’s game. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.