With the 2024 Olympic Games in full swing, naturally, we’ve been soaking in the awe-inspiring athleticism. But that’s not the only thing that’s made our heads turn. The first week of the games have been chalk-full of powerful beauty moments, too.
For one, 5x Olympic gold-medalist Simone Biles reminds us that she didn’t ask for opinions about her hair, clapping back at the unwarranted criticism.
Then, French curl braids had a moment across sports, from soccer player Trinity Rodman, to tennis champion Coco Gauff and Brazil’s bronze-winning gymnastics team.
We also couldn’t keep our eyes off of team Liberia’s track stars, specifically Ebony Morrison who served Black power in a gorgeous Afro.
Below, ESSENCE takes a look at the hair moments you may have missed from week one.
Simone Biles claps back
Simone Biles is the most decorated U.S. Olympic Gymnast in history. She is the first gymnast to win six world all-around titles and the first female U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals at the Olympics, leading her team to a fifth gold at the women’s teams finals on Tuesday. Despite her piling achievements––including having two floor passes named after her (the Biles I and II)––spectators still make a point to criticize her hair.
Pulling her tape-in extensions into a bun, Biles’s hair is on the move from sun up to sun down as she competes through warm-ups, floor routines, and even the hardest vault in the world. “Don’t come for me about my hair,” she clapped back on her Instagram story. “IT WAS DONE but [the] bus has NO AC & it’s like 9,0000 degrees. Oh & a 45 min ride,” she continued, as if she owed us an explanation at all.
Trinity Rodman’s pink braids
With the 2024 Olympic Games hosted in Paris, U.S. soccer player Trinity Rodman competed in none other than French curl braids. Her dual-toned pink braiding hair was weaved into her natural color, but braided only half-way before falling into a loose curl.
For the match against Zambia, she tied her hair into a low ponytail held by a black hair tie. Against Germany, she pulled her braids up high. Then, for her latest match against Australia, she doubled-down on the Parisian look with her French curls tied into a set of French braids, claiming the top spot in Group B yesterday.
Ebony Morrison’s gorgeous ‘fro
All eyes were on Team Liberia as they attended the opening ceremony in full Telfar uniforms––but we couldn’t stop looking at their hair. The two women on the team, 2x Olympic hurdler Ebony Morrison and flag-bearing sprinter Thelma Davies, wore opposite looks. While Morrison introduced Liberia with an afro (which she put into twists days after), Davies made her Olympic debut in a curled and highlighted middle part wig.
Coco Gauff’s feminine bow
With her hair cornrowed into French curl braids, Coco Gauff was the first tennis player and youngest athlete selected as flag bearer in team U.S. history. Despite that, her gold medal campaign was ended by an Ump’s call, leaving the 2024 Olympics without an award.
This isn’t the first time she was cheated from a bad call––a similar incident occured at the French Open back in June––which leaves her in an unfair situation where she has to advocate for her points. Although, the controversy in her game doesn’t take away from her talent nor the innocent white bow and effort she put into the accented patriotic braids in her hair.
Team Brazil’s bronze braids
Two steps behind team U.S.A, Brazil won their first-ever gymnastics Olympic medal in another braided beauty moment. 2x Olympic gymnasts Lorrane Oliveira and Rebeca Andrade performed in near identical hair looks: a trending set of French curl braids.
However, Oliveira showed up in a deeper brown tone while Andrade preferred blonde weaved into her natural brown color. Meanwhile, Flavia Saraiva––who competed with a black eye after a warm-up injury––wore rubber-banned ponytails pulled back into a high bun as the team worked hard to take home the bronze.
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