Simone Biles responded to criticism for her decision to bow to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade after her floor final at the Olympics on Monday.
NFL player Marlon Humphrey criticized the legendary American gymnast and her teammate Jordan Chiles for their decision to celebrate Andrade on the podium in Paris.
On Monday, minutes after the results came in, Humphrey, 28, took to X to share her feelings about the two Team USA gymnasts who praised Andrade after she won her first gold medal of the summer.
“This is literally disgusting,” Humphrey wrote in the SportsCenter post that captures the moment Biles and Chiles show their love to Andrade.
Biles and Chiles placed second and third respectively in the event. Andrade had suffered three ACL tears in her career before winning for the first time in Paris. She now has six career Olympic medals, two of them gold (Andrade also won the vault final in Tokyo in 2021).
Simone Biles responds to criticism for bowing to Brazilian Rebeca Andrade
Biles (L) and Jordan Chiles (R) bowed to Rebeca Andrade after their victory in the floor final
But, Speaking on the TODAY show On Tuesday morning, Biles defended her decision and praised Andrade once again.
She said: ‘I think it’s all about sportsmanship and we don’t care if we win or lose.
‘We will always keep a good face and support our competitors because they have worked as hard as we have for that moment.
‘You have to give them their flowers and that’s exactly what Jordan and I were doing.
“We were very happy for her. She deserved it, she did the best floor routine of the day and of the Olympics.”
Humphrey later faced backlash from his fans on social media for his bizarre portrayal.
“Yeah because giving flowers to someone who has come back from THREE ACL tears and is still a top-notch gymnast is disgusting,” one user responded on X.
Another Olympic spectator echoed: “God forbid athletes show respect to a fellow athlete who has suffered an ACL tear multiple times.”
A third told him: “Get to a final and win something. Then you can talk.”
“This is literally beautiful,” another user noted in contrast to Humphery’s reaction.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey condemned the sportsmanlike gesture on social media
The three-time Pro Bowler later said he felt the wrath of Brazil fans on social media, though he seemed to have forgotten that people in the South American country speak Portuguese.
“I’m freaking out right now. I think I’m being insulted in Brazilian on Instagram lol,” Humphrey shared in another post.
Biles finished the 2024 Olympics with four medals, including three gold, to bring her total tally to 11.
She also praised Andrade for keeping the bar high in gymnastics at the Olympics.
“I’ve never had an athlete this close,” Biles said of facing the Brazilian.
“This definitely kept me on my toes and brought out the best in me as an athlete. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her.
“I’ve never been so stressed. Thanks, Rebecca.”