Hoda Kotb Was Very Upset By Simone Biles' Olympic Exit
Simone Biles pulled out of the gymnastics team competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. A coach said that it was a mental issue while USA Gymnastics released a brief statement on Twitter calling it a medical issue. Hoda Kotb, who was there covering the event for TODAY, was clearly upset to see Biles struggling. She got emotional talking about the breaking situation.
Wrenching to see @hodakotb talk about how @Simone_Biles survived so much including #LarryNassar to shockingly drop out of team competition at @Olympics in @Tokyo2020. You can see the news got to her and she couldn’t hide her emotions at the end. @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/xflbahfhMm
— jayewatson (@jayewatson) July 27, 2021
Then she was seen yelling support to Biles and her teammates, which did not sit well with some because there is traditionally no cheering in the press box.
NBC's Hoda Kotb is yelling down to the U.S. gymnasts, telling them, 'I love you.' Asked Biles if she's ok. Turned toward crowd and said, 'Don't you love Simone Biles?' Except there really isn't a crowd.
— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) July 27, 2021
NBC clearly saw nothing wrong with it as Kotb then went back on the air and introduced a clip of herself yelling enoucragement down to the gymnastics team.
Kotb has spoken with Biles multiple times on TODAY, including an emotional interview following the sentencing of Larry Nassar.
Someone said it best. @Simone_Biles already won. She is a class act. Withdrew from team competion after vault... stayed and cheered on her teammates... got them chalk for their hands.. encouraged.. hugged them. She already won. Congrats on the silver medal! @TeamUSA @USAGym
— Hoda Kotb (@hodakotb) July 27, 2021
Considering the conversation around mental health and the fact that Kotb clearly has an attachment to these athletes, I'm inclined to think that someone from TODAY probably shouldn't be expected to play by the same rules as a beat reporter from the local paper covering a regular season baseball game. They are there for the human interest part of the story. The fact that they become part of the story probably shouldn't be a surprise.