While Simone Biles making gravity submit to her will at the 2016 Olympics is absolute must-watch gymnastics, she may have made you forget about her competitors. Maybe, you hadn’t realized how good Brazil’s team is. The team currently ranks in the top five and will compete in the team finals. Because teams win by the slimmest of margins, it’s very possible that after today’s women’s team all-around, the gymnastics team could add to Brazil’s medal count. And they could actually walk away with three medals in the sport at this year’s Olympics.
For one, the team has Flávia Saraiva – a 16-year-old physically dwarfed by 4-foot-8 Biles. The phenom currently ranks behind Biles and our fave, Laurie Hernandez, on the balance beam. Then, there’s 17-year-old Rebeca Andrade. Based on her performance in qualifiers, she may also walk away with a medal in the all-around event.
But on top of making her country proud, Andrade is also rivaling Laurie on floor. Slate recently described Laurie as the “savior of gymnastics dance” for her ability to mix high-skilled tricks and dance – something that proves difficult for others who stiffly dance in between flips and splits. Laurie dances WTF!’s “Da Bop,” but it doesn’t compare to Rebeca, who dances to Queen Bey. Choosing a medley of some of Beyoncé’s most popular songs – “Crazy in Love” and “Single Ladies” – the routine incorporate’s some of the pop star’s popular dance moves. So Andrade makes people want to clap along (because duh Beyoncé). And she also helps people who may not know the sport find something they immediately recognize.
https://youtu.be/bMbxoWtXDbk
Like Laurie, Rebeca isn’t likely to score as highly on her routine because judges award more points for tumbling and leaping than for artistry. But I just thought up a whole new Olympic gymnastic sport: floor dance off.