Featured Image Credit: Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images/Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Topics: Hair, Olympics, Sport, Simone Biles
Kya Buller
Topics: Hair, Olympics, Sport, Simone Biles
Simone Biles has dazzled viewers with her elite gymnastics performances at this year's Olympics - but she hasn't minced her words towards people who were instead focusing on her hair.
Biles, who currently holds eight Olympic and 30 World Championship medals, is the most decorated gymnast in history.
The 27-year-old is part of the American team which took home the gold medal in recent days at the artistic gymnastics team final in Paris.
Gymnasts often wear their hair in styles that ensures it will stay out of their faces to focus on performing.
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Following Biles' most recent Olympics performance, social media was awash with cruel comments about her hair.
One person said it looked as though she had 'just rolled out of bed', with another calling her hairstyle 'sloppy'.
Biles later shared a snap on social media which showed her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
The iconic Instagram Story caption was sure to stop critics in their tracks, as she wrote: "Don’t come for me about my hair.
"IT WAS DONE but bus has no AC and it’s like 9,000 degrees. Oh and a 45-minute ride.”
The next image she shared showed her fanning her face due to the heat. Biles wrote: “Gonna hold your hand when I say this.
"Next time you wanna comment on a Black girl’s hair. JUST DON’T.”
Biles has been open about her hair journey when it comes to gymnastics and expectations.
In an interview with Elle earlier this month, the gymnast credited social media with giving her inspiration, saying: "We’ve [Black women] been able to take care of our hair better and take care of our beauty routines better, because it’s self-taught. It’s really special that we have access to those platforms.”
She continued: “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional. But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”
Following the criticism Biles received online, many loyal fans leapt to her defence.
One person wrote: "Imagine being the kind of person who watches Simone Biles perform moves that no one else can do, twirl in the air multiple times and land on her two feet… only to comment on her hair! Imagine having that mentality?”
Another said: "Simone Biles is out here making history and people are worried about her hair. We really are cooked as a people.”
A third added: "I hateeeee people especially women who comment on Simone Biles hair. Cause yall not out there doing damn flips and winning medals. It’s so wild to me."