While Simone has reigned as champion in her categories, Brazil’s megastar Rebeca has confirmed she has what it takes to defend up. In level of fact, Rebeca—who obtained silver in the vault at the 2020 Tokyo Games, the assign she changed into the valuable South American lady to fabricate it to the rostrum in the match—is a pressure to be reckoned with.

And if it wasn’t determined forward of their neck and neck particular person all-spherical closing, the assign Rebecca accomplished silver forward of Team USA’s Sunisa, and Simone can repeat.

“I don't wanna compete with Rebeca no extra—I'm tired,” Simone quipped to reporters after the competition Aug. 1. “She's system too shut.”

Laughing at the friendly competition, she added, “I've never had an athlete that shut, so it positively assign me on my toes and it introduced out essentially the most interesting athlete in myself.”

And being regarded as the GOAT for a motive, Simone isn’t feeble to feeling pondering her top role. “I'm getting unhappy, guys,” she jokingly emphasized. “I don't love that feeling—I became as soon as stressing!”

Regardless that Rebecca and Simone are vying for the same role on the rostrum, besides they fragment a deep respect for one one other.

“I’ve grown such affection for her,” Rebeca, 25, knowledgeable The Washington Put up, whereas Simone added, “I for inch like competing with Rebeca. She does push me.”

In level of fact, the São Paulo native even remembers a moment at the arena championships in 2018 after a knee hurt ended in a discouraging routine, when Simone shared some candy words in non-public.

“She knowledgeable me, ‘Don’t quit. You’re gifted. And you’re going to gain previous this,’” she recalled. “It became as soon as this kind of form moment, so affectionate, because there became as soon as no person else spherical.”

Withhold reading for added impossible moments at the 2024 Olympics.