PARIS: Watching the celebrations after the Paris Olympics women’s gymnastics team final Tuesday, it was impossible to tell who had won.
The Simone Biles-led US team? Brazil star Rebeca Andrade and her teammates? Or the Italian team led by 17-year-old Manila Esposito?
Athletes from three nations erupted in cheers when the final scores flashed on the giant screens inside raucous Bercy Arena. As the legion of American fans started to chant “USA! USA!”, their Brazilian counterparts danced and waved blue, green and yellow flags. The Italians hugged each other warmly.