Empty seats and silent audiences at any sporting event are a huge morale dwindler and prominent stars like Noah Lyles and Sydney McLaughlin Levrone have faced the brunt of it. Gymnastics suffers the same fate too from time to time. Will Olympic dreams collide with unexpected silence at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships? The anticipation was palpable as the event promised a spectacle of athleticism and Olympic dreams. With Simone Biles headlining the event, fans are eagerly waiting to witness the unparalleled grace on the mat. But contrasting with all the enthusiasm, an eerie silence pervaded the arena.
As to everyone’s disbelief, the empty stands dimmed the spectacle. Despite the queen of gymnastics reigning on the gymnastics floor, the roar from the stands was not loud enough to enlighten the electrifying performances. But why did Biles have to take center stage amidst an atmosphere of eerie quietude?
Simone Biles, a name synonymous with triumphs and roaring cheers in the gymnastics realm, took center stage in the U.S. Championship last Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. With gravity-defying stunts, Biles has already taken the lead. However, the absence of cheering fans left a void in the atmosphere. Recently an X post shared a snapshot of the empty stands of Fort Worth and added, “The arena is… empty”.
The tickets for the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships were available online for fans. The price for the tickets began from $239 for all eight sessions. The highest price reached approximately $10,000. This amount might be the reason behind the empty stands. Also, the tornado in Texas affected the area and left many people without power. This, in turn, might have affected the situation.
Besides Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas was on the list of contenders, but unfortunately, because of a sudden injury, she had to withdraw from the U.S. Championships 2024. The list is also graced by names like Shilese Jones, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Leane Wong, Yul Moldauer, Paul Juda, and many other extraordinary athletes.
A stadium filled with enthusiastic supporters often becomes a catalyst for the athletes’ positive mindset before their performance. As the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships unfolded against the backdrop of a deserted arena, fans couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment. And longing for the days when stadiums were filled with enthusiastic supporters. This holds true for the dismal plight prevailing in track and field as well, especially if we consider allusions to this interrelated problem in the sporting realm.
Noah Lyles, back in 2021, even admitted that his failure and underwhelming performance in the 200m was due to the lack of a viable crowd rooting for their favorite athletes. Notwithstanding Covid regulations, he simply stated that-“I don’t think you understand how lifeless it was in Tokyo to have no crowd there. It was dead silent,” which just goes to show how much of a buzzkill the dearth of fans causes to an athlete’s game. With no clarion calls or chants as such, he came in clutch with his rationale that –“I’ve competed in a stadium where the audience was silent and it was extremely weird, I think I would rather have nobody there.”
The same disappointing case prevailed with Sydney Levrone as well in the Oxy Invitational in LA this year. In her maiden voyage this year (her first ever hurdle race since August 2022) saw an acute paucity of traffic and turnover. While Levrone still gave it her all to emerge with a 12.71 in the 100mH, it still underscores that this issue is skin deep. Getting back to gymnastics, fans were visibly disheartened by this perennial problem and even chimed in with their two cents.
Gymnastics enthusiasts and netizens took to the comment section of the X post and shared their two cents on the matter. Referring to how direly vacant the stands are, one X user mentioned that even the first rows are empty. They commented, “Literally you could be sitting the first row.”
One fan mentioned their awkwardness while they watched the event on television. They highlighted that due to sparse applause in the nearly empty arena. “For real, the smattering of clapping after routines in that arena is so awkward on TV :/”, wrote the fan.
Expressing incredulity at the high ticket prices for an event in Fort Worth, Texas, one user shared an opinion. The user sarcastically commented, “Who wants to pay $10,000 for tickets to an event in the exotic, beautiful paradise of….Fort Worth.” Texas is not predominantly considered a luxurious location. The comment reflected the irony of such high costs for an event in a location that may not be perceived as glamorous.
One comment highlighted that the previous day of the event too experienced a similar scenario. The user expressed disappointment and wrote, “Damn I thought it would be significantly better than the men yesterday but it’s not.”
While the Paris Olympics are just a few weeks away, athletes are gearing up to showcase their athletic prowess at every event. Despite that, Fort Worth had to execute one of the most awaited gymnastics events amid haunting silence.
