Ex-Olympian defends herself after Olympic commentary sparked major backlash from viewers
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images/Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images
Retired Olympian and commentator Laurie Hernandez has had to defend her on-air claims after she received backlash from viewers.
Laurie, a retired Olympic gymnast who bagged both a gold and silver medal at Rio 2016, has been providing valuable commentary for NBC and Peacock's Paris Olympics coverage on the US women's gymnastics team final.
But some of her claims have caused quite the stir online, despite most viewers saying she did 'a great job'.
In fact, she sparked such a backlash that she asked on Twitter for people to stop tagging her in negative opinions about herself.
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She said: "Had such a blast commentating the competition tonight.
"What a night!
"Also - everyone is entitled to their own opinion (obviously), but if the opinion related to me and is unkind, please don’t tag me in it (contrary to popular belief, I do see it)."
Not only was she a gymnast competing in the games herself, she also competed alongside Simone Biles, who is currently representing Team USA in Paris.
Meaning that in theory - she should be giving some real insider knowledge.
But some fans weren't happy with her educational commentary after she informed viewers about the so-called 'domino effect' that happens in professional gymnastics.
Speaking on-air, she said: "When one gymnast falls, falls tend to follow with gymnasts that come after," Laurie noted during the broadcast, after Jordan Chiles fell off the balance beam during her routine.
"So, it's really important for Suni to hit her routine and set up that good energy coming in for the next gymnast."
But some came for Laurie, suggesting she was 'such a hater' and 'so negative'.
One user wrote: "For every nice thing Laurie Hernandez has to say about Suni Lee, she has about ten critiques or pure silence to follow.
"She needs to watch herself."
But many fans came to her defence, saying that her commentary was very educational.
One noted: "She does a great job of explaining really specific technicalities of the sport while also weaving in important narratives.
"This is how you get people interested in the sport beyond a surface level."
Another said: "It's like watching at home with your really enthusiastic, really knowledgeable best friend.
"She educates you, and you share in her excitement."
One fan wanted to see more commentary from Laurie in other fields, after asking: "Does she know enough to do other sports?"