Auburn gymnast Sophia Bell has called out the gymnastics fans online who criticize and troll athletes. She has asked the community to be kind and uplift the athletes rather than tearing them down.
The high popularity of college gymnastics in the United States means athletes sometimes have to deal with online trolls who post negative and sometimes abusive comments. Auburn gymnasts also had to deal with online criticism following the program’s narrow defeat to Arkansas on Sunday.
Auburn Gymnast Sophia Bell Sends Message to Gymnastics Fans
Bell shared an appeal on her Instagram story, calling for fans to be kinder to athletes rather than sending messages of abuse and criticism. She wrote about how difficult gymnastics is, noting that the goal of each routine is to achieve “perfection”.
“PSA to the gymternet: The girls you see on your TV are real humans with real emotions. We are not pawns in a game. The hate you choose to spew online is seen and heard by us.”
“The goal of this sport is literal perfection, so trust me when I say we beat ourselves up enough, we do not need to hear it from people hiding behind a screen too. You will never begin to understand what it feels like to compete, let alone “fail” on a national stage.”
“All I ask is that you be kind human beings, collegiate athletes already go through enough. I will always protect my team and any other gym team that is victim to the hate of the internet. Choose to uplift others with your words, not tear them down. With all that said, we’ll be back, don’t doubt us.”
Auburn lost to Arkansas, 196.075-197.250. Bell was one of the team’s star performers at the meet, winning the floor event with an impressive 9.925. She also impressed in the vault, scoring 9.9.
Bell Made History With Yurchenko Double
Bell has enjoyed an excellent start to her 2026 season, and she made history on Friday during Auburn’s season opener against NC State. During Auburn’s impressive win, the sophomore became the first athlete in the program’s history to perform and complete a Yurchenko double.
Afterwards, she shared her pride and said (via the Kansas City Star), “It was so emotional because I was writing my name into Auburn legacy. I wanted to be able to train to my full potential, because obviously a full (Yurchenko) was nowhere near what I could do.”
The move is regarded as one of the most difficult in gymnastics and involves a roundoff onto the springboard, a back handspring onto the table, and two backward flips. Simone Biles has performed the move at major events.
