Laurie Hernandez was not a competitor in the Paris Olympics, but her live commentary on the Peacock Network captured the attention of viewers globally tuning in for the gymnastics events.
“I want it to feel like we’re all sitting on the couch together,” said Hernandez. “We are just talking gymnastics, we’re talking joy, we’re talking hardships. I just feel really grateful that people have found it exciting and relatable.”
Ahead of the team all-around final on July 30, Hernandez’s on-air colleague, Rich Lerner, asked her if she knew that Simone Biles — now the most decorated gymnast of all time — would be a special athlete when the duo roomed together at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Jokingly, the 24-year-old uttered the phrase, “And they were roommates,” originating from a viral video on the defunct Vine app. The expression has been adopted by queer culture and refers to the history of closeted queer couples as roommates. Hernandez also acknowledged the viral clip in a post shared on X following the competition.
“I’m chronically online like everybody else watching, so a lot of times [viral phrases] just slip out, I’m sorry,” said Hernandez in an interview with De Los.
“My partner [Rich] just set me up perfectly for that kind of response. He had to ask the researchers on our team, ‘What does this mean?’” she added.
Shortly after, U.S. gymnast Suni Lee fell into the mat during practice on uneven bars, and the crowd, including Hernandez, let out an audible gasp.
“Don’t worry, it scared me too, but this is just warmups,” Hernandez reminded audiences at home.
Much like Hernandez’s success as a two-medal Olympian, her commentary stuck the landing.
Many at-home spectators took to social media to comment on her light-hearted humor, her ability to succinctly explain gymnastic maneuvers to new viewers and aficionados alike and her compassionate approach when it comes to talking about athletes outside of the U.S. team.
“I know for a fact that everyone out on the competition floor is human. They have all had their own hardships,” said Hernandez.
She points to Lee, who was in remission for kidney disease last year, and Biles, who has been outspoken about her mental health following a Tokyo incident where she experienced what gymnasts call “the twisties.” Both have been transparent about their journeys leading to Paris, where both snagged a place in team and individual all-around categories.
“I’m grateful that everybody is also seeing the athletes with as much compassion,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez also has overcome hardships. Following the dismissal of her longtime coach, Maggie Haney, due to verbal and emotional abuse, Hernandez detailed the abusive conduct in a 2020 post.
“For years I was taught to not listen to my body or my mind,” she wrote. “But now I’ve learned to trust my gut and know that my experience and feelings are valid.”
At 16, the New Jersey-born athlete was the youngest member of Team USA to participate at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the fifth member in history to make the squad as a first-year-senior elite gymnast.
She was also the first U.S.-born Latina to earn a spot since 1984.
“I look back on that moment and feel really proud that even in a world where we are taught to be so serious and so focused, my joy was bursting out of me,” said Hernandez, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. “I look back and I’m like wow, that joy and gratitude was my culture.”
Hernandez walked away a champion, locking in gold with the “Final Five” squad and a silver medal for her performance on the balance beam in 2016.
Though she set her sights on the Tokyo Olympics, a series of injuries shifted her plans, ultimately leading to her retirement from the sport in 2021. Still, she remained at the edges of the event as a freshman NBC commentator.
The 2016 “Dancing With the Stars” winner (where she was also the youngest competitor) doesn’t rule out a return to the gymnastics stage as a contender.
“Never say never,” she said. “Every so often there’s a little itch that sometimes I feel like I need to scratch, so who knows?”
The rising junior at NYU Tisch isn’t limiting herself to her global titles; she’s on her way to completing a BFA in drama and enjoys screenwriting, acting, animation, voice work, video games, books and sports commentary.
She questions if her pursuits are selfish but then firmly acknowledges that she is a “career octopus.”
“I loved this one thing for so long and now I’m supposed to just find another thing to do,” Hernandez said. “I feel very lucky that I love many things.”
Though there’s no telling whether Hernandez will be at the 2028 L.A. Olympics, as a competitor or commentator, she’s open to what may come.
“If the opportunity presents itself to do those things, why not?” she said.
