Laurie Hernandez had an important message on her Olympic commentary NBC Chicago [Video]

An Olympic gymnast herself, Laurie Hernandez is no stranger to the scrutiny that comes with being an athlete on the global stage, but when it came to announcing her sport, and in some cases her peers, on a global stage — that was something new.

Hernandez commentated on the women’s gymnastics events at the 2024 Olympics and after a shocking beam final on the last day of women’s gymnastics competition, she shared a message about her role.

Writing on social media in response to a fan’s praise of her work, the two-time Olympic medalist said “pointing out deductions is not criticism of the athletes.”

“Should be a given that we think they’re brilliant for even being out there!” she said. “It’s explaining why Andrade might’ve gotten 4th with a hit routine vs. Yaqin winning silver even with a .5 deduction for almost falling.”

The gymnast-turned-TV analyst become an unexpected star of the Games during the gymnastics portion of the competition.

Eight …