After Rebeca Andrade won four Olympic medals in Paris, the greatest gymnast in Brazilian history told her longtime coach, Francisco Porath Neto, that she needed a break.
“During her time away, both she and I had doubts about whether she would rediscover that desire to be back in the gym,” Porath said, according to the Brazil Gymnastics Federation.
Andrade, a 27-year-old who had three right ACL tears in the late 2010s, spent 2025 with family, friends, her dogs and, most importantly, kicking up her feet.
The doubts vanished.
“I think every athlete should have that opportunity, you know?” she said of the time off. “I came back feeling much more mentally refreshed, and my desire to compete is even stronger. I love gymnastics, I love being in the gym, but when you feel exhausted, it’s very difficult to give your best.”
Andrade returns to the global stage at the World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, next week (live on Peacock and NBCSN) to cap her return season.
“It had been a long time since I’d felt that nervousness, those butterflies in my stomach,” she said. “But coming back was very rewarding.”
Porath said that Andrade is ready to compete on vault — her Tokyo Olympic gold medal event — and balance beam. She is working on getting uneven bars back, but has repeated dating back to Paris that she does not plan to return to floor exercise, which she won at the 2024 Games.
If that holds true, Andrade will no longer compete in the all-around, where she took silvers behind Suni Lee in Tokyo and behind Simone Biles in Paris.
“Right now, her focus is not on individual results,” Porath said. “Of course, those may come, but Rebeca’s return is very much about what she can contribute to the team.”
Brazil had no active Olympic gymnasts when Andrade was born in 1999, one of eight children (seven brothers) raised by her mom, a house cleaner. On the days they didn’t have money for the bus, she walked nearly two hours to the gym to train.
Fast forward to Tokyo: Andrade became the first Brazilian female gymnast to win an Olympic medal. Then in Paris, she led Brazil to its first Olympic team gymnastics medal, bronze behind the U.S. and Italy.
It was the first of four days in a one-week span that Andrade won a medal, giving her six for her career, the most of any Brazilian Olympian.
“After the finals, I would run over to hug (family and friends), talk to them, and share those moments,” she said. “Those memories will always stay in my heart and in my mind, and I believe they also touched the hearts of many people across Brazil.”
Recharged, Andrade can make fresh memories in what is expected to be her final Olympic cycle.
“What really matters most is seeing that sparkle in her eyes again,” Porath said. “Rebeca has already achieved so much, and now she is looking for new challenges and new achievements, which is incredibly rewarding.”
