Saraiva contributed crucial points to Brazil’s women’s gymnastics team in the team final where they won an unprecedented bronze medal, the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sport
Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saraiva, 24, suffered a deep cut on her eyebrow and a black eye after falling during warmups at the 2024 Paris Olympics but persevered and continued competing with a bandaged face. She contributed crucial points for Brazil’s women’s gymnastics team in the team final where they won an unprecedented bronze medal, the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.
Saraiva competed despite being disoriented, and unable to see clearly.
The Brazilian medical team, led by Dr. Lara Ramalho, cleaned Saraiva’s wound and used skin glue and a bandage to stop the bleeding. The bandages had to be changed three times due to continued bleeding.
Saraiva experienced head trauma symptoms but reassured the medical team she was ready to compete. Dr. Lara praised her performance.
For post-competition care, Saraiva will need to apply ice, and watch for new symptoms. The medical team will assess if additional treatment is necessary for her complete recovery.
The Brazilian gymnastics team, led by Rebeca Andrade, secured a spot in the team final after finishing the qualifying round in fourth place, behind the United States, Italy, and China.
In team competitions, all delegations compete on four apparatus: floor, vault, balance beam, and uneven bars.
Saraiva’s performance on the uneven bars, scoring 13.666, was commendable, but her score of 13.533 in the team final generated controversy, with users accusing judges of bias against Brazil and comparing it to higher scores for Chinese athletes with visible mistakes.
Saraiva had a challenging qualifying round, with two near-falls – one on the beam where she grabbed the apparatus to save herself, and another on the floor where she simplified her routine to avoid injury.