For Italy and Brazil, their loss to a Simone Biles-led U.S. team at the Olympics felt like a victory.
PARIS: Watching the celebrations after the women's gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, it was hard to tell who had won.
Team USA led by Simone Biles? Brazilian star Rebecca Andrade and her teammates? Or Team Italy led by 17-year-old Manila Esposito?
As the final score flashed on the giant screen inside the noisy Bercy Arena, the players from the three countries cheered. As the American fans began chanting, “USA! USA!”, the Brazilian fans danced and waved their blue, green and yellow flags. The Italian players hugged each other warmly.
With a total score of 171.296, Biles won her eighth gold medal, making her the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history.
But it was also a historic day for Italy and Brazil.
Italy won silver in the event for the first time since 1928, but Brazil has never won a team medal before.
“We haven't figured out what it means yet,” said Italy's Alice D'Amato when asked about second place.
The Brazilian team was the last team to leave the stadium. They stayed under the grandstand, and Andrade was lifted by his teammates and hugged the supporters hanging over the railing.
“It's like magic that we did it,” said Brazil's Jade Barbosa. “It's pure magic. Brazil wasn't big in the sport. We had a lot of great individuals, but now we have great gymnasts.”
The Italian team received 165.494 points, beating Brazil's 164.497, with Angela Andreoli delivering a strong performance on floor.
“I knew that getting on the podium was an important part of the routine,” Andreoli said. “I was under pressure, but my partners helped me keep my cool.”
Brazil's hopes of a podium finish were almost dashed when Flavia Saraiva injured her right eye during the warm-up before the race began.
“I couldn't see, and there was blood, but the team doctor said everything was fine,” Saraiva said. “I think my knee hit my eye when I fell. It's not the first time this has happened. I'll probably need stitches.”
With a bandage over her eye, Saraiva kept fighting. She was careful on the bars and didn't fall on the beam, then did an easier version of the floor exercise and finished the night with a powerful vault.
“We are warriors,” Saraiva said.
Her teammate Andrade excelled on all four apparatuses, showed a great layout on floor and scored 15.100 on vault. If she can do that in Thursday's all-around final, she could be competing with Biles for gold.
