Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez is calling women’s gymnastics for NBC this year in Paris, and she has quickly become a topic of lots of online chatter because of her raw, uninhibited commentary.
Whether it is real-time positive and negative reactions to routines from the likes of Simone Biles or Rebecca Andrade or being brought to tears by the biggest moments, the 24-year-old Hernandez has kept it real in her debut as an announcer.
In an interview on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast released Monday , Hernandez detailed why it’s hard to ignore the online response to her commentary, how she has been “embarrassed” at times over how she comes across on-air, and her approach as a broadcaster.
“I’m just really glad that the right fan gets the snowball rolling. Because it’s hours of live commentary, so they could have taken anything,” Hernandez said. “Thank god I said something that was at least funny or kind-hearted. My goal is always to have an optimistic outlook because I recognize how hard this sport can be.”
Hernandez said she can’t help but reference popular memes or use Gen Z language on air.
“I’m also chronically online, I’m 24, I’m in college,” she said. “I’m unfortunately on TikTok until my eyes get droopy.”
Hernandez added that while she may let out an “ooh!” or an “uh-oh!” on the call, she feels that those same moments also bring authenticity and connection to the audience that she wants to nurture.
“Sometimes those natural instincts or natural, instinctual sounds … it’s like slipping on a banana peel,” Hernandez explained. “If I could reel it in, I would because it’s quite involuntary, and sometimes I feel a little embarrassed by it, and I’m kind of working on that. But people seem to enjoy it, and at the end of the day I do want it to feel like I’m talking to a friend, to people that I know, to people that are enjoying the sport.”
Hernandez understands that gymnastics scoring is complex. On the broadcast, she will often break her analysis into two segments: one for casual fans and another for young gymnasts or diehards.
So, while those diehards may be put off by such a visceral, emotional response to a routine, she knows the casuals are probably feeling the same thing at home.
“We are enjoying it as a unit; it’s not me talking down to anyone,” Hernandez added. “It’s like we’re in a living room with a little glass of whatever you prefer, and I’m going to just talk about how incredible this competition is while also understanding exactly what’s going on.”
The Olympics are all about the thrill of competition and the soaring emotion of victory or loss. From Rowdy Gaines to Dwyane Wade, the Olympic announcers who cut through combine hype with smarts. It seems like Hernandez is well on her way to doing just that.
[ Sports Media with Richard Deitsch ]
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