British-Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart claimed an airport worker made her cry while she was headed home from the Olympics in Milan. However, viewers shared their unexpected reactions in the comments. She has since responded to clarify why she was so upset.
In a video with over 2.2 million views, Smart (@oliviasmartxox), a Team Spain figure skater, films herself wearing an Olympic lanyard and USA beanie. Tears well up in her eyes, and she looks defeated.
On-screen text reads, “When you go back to real life after the Olympics ends and workers at the airport are SO rude to you.” She continues in the caption, “Apparently we’re only special during the dates between February 6th-22nd..”
Viewers Have Little Sympathy
While Smart may have expected sympathy for the “rude” interaction she did not share further details of, viewers pushed back at her for seemingly wanting “special treatment.”
“It’s ok… I didn’t go to the Olympics and they were rude to me too!” one wrote.
Another remarked, “A sense of entitlement does not mean you are entitled.”
“Why would you be more special than anyone else?” a third asked.
However, others came to Smart’s defense, saying that no one deserves to be treated poorly, regardless of their achievements or notoriety.
A commenter wrote, “Comments don’t meet the vibe check – They shouldn’t be rude to you, regardless of you who are, but to bring you down after such a hype must of been awful.”
“Airport people are adult bullies and some of the meanest people. I’m so sorry,” a second said.
What Is Post-Olympics Depression?
Smart was shocked when she deplaned her 7-hour flight to see the criticism from viewers.
She made a “yikes” face and captioned the follow-up video, “Just to clarify.. I don’t expect special treatment at all.” However, she points to another phenomenon that could be the reason for her reaction.
She wrote, “Post Olympics depression and emotions are SO real and mine were especially high when boarding my extremely early flight to officially leave the Olympics here in Milan.”
Smart is far from the only athlete to experience post-Olympic blues. According to SnowBrains, the end of the Olympics usually marks the end of months, if not years, of intense training and preparation. The high of the actual competition quickly fizzles out, and athletes have to gear back up for another four-year training period.
The period of low mood may be very common among Olympians. A 2023 study found that 27% of Danish Olympians and Para-Olympians surveyed reported moderate-to-severe depression.
After explaining the reason for her heightened emotions at the airport, Smart’s viewers are more understanding.
“I get sad after holidays and vacations. I just can’t imagine the let down after something you have spent years prepping for,” one offered.
“We’re all with you. We’ve been immersed in olympic sport from sun up to sun down for the last 2 weeks and now our pusher has cut us off and expects us to go cold turkey,” another viewer wrote.
@oliviasmartxox They even got me crying 😭😭😭 Apparently we’re only special during the dates between February 6th-22nd.. #milanocortina2026 #olympics #winterolympics #figureskating
BroBible reached out to Smart via email and TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update the story when she replies.