For Simone Biles, there was a simple reason why she and Jordan Chiles decided to bow down to rival (and friend) Rebeca Andrade after she beat them for gold: “Sportsmanship.”
It was a move that was largely praised as women supporting women, other than a few critics. And one that was important to Biles.
"[We were] showing good sportsmanship [and] having fun out there because it was the last competition," the superstar gymnast, 27, tells PEOPLE.
The moment capped off a medal-heavy and record-breaking Olympics for Biles, who earned three gold and one silver medal during the 2024 Games. Her sole silver came against Andrade in the floor final, and it was there that Biles and Chiles, 23, bowed to the six-time Olympic medalist, 25.
That podium also held a bigger significance — it marked the first time, ever, that an Olympics podium was entirely made up of Black gymnasts, a moment that certainly was not lost on Biles.