Rebecca Downie's emotional return: Team GB gymnast honours late brother at Paris 2024 Olympics
The artistic gymnastics women’s team final on Tuesday (30 July) will be particularly poignant for Rebecca Downie of Great Britain.
Three years ago, she missed out on Tokyo 2020 when her brother unexpectedly passed away a week before Team GB trials, and she did not make the team.
At Paris 2024, the Nottingham native is back at the Olympic Games for the third time and a first appearance in eight years, where will be honouring her late brother.
“The team final was a big goal for our team coming here, and for me especially I know it’s going to be an emotional day because it falls on my brother’s birthday. As I was entering the arena I started tearing up, but they were happy tears," Downie told the Independent upon qualifying for the women’s team final.
Rebecca Downie's most significant Games at Paris 2024
Downie made her Olympic gymnastics debut at Beijing 2008. After missing out on her home Games four years later, she competed in three events at Rio 2016. Now 32, this will be perhaps her most important Olympic experience yet due to its personal significance.
“I really wanted to enjoy today,” she continued. “It’s been the hardest three years of my life, and if somebody asked me to do it again I don’t know if I would.”
Downie will compete in the balance beam event in the team final, which will be held at the Bercy Arena.
Team GB will be up against the likes of Simone Biles and the United States, Italy, and People’s Republic of China in their pursuit of gold, and will hope to improve on their bronze medal from Tokyo 2020, in 2021.