Simone Biles seemed to respond to her critics – including a former teammate – after securing the team gold medal for women’s gymnastics at the Paris Olympics.
Biles, along with Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey, excelled in the competition, winning by a margin of nearly five-and-a-half points over Italy.
Following this achievement, Biles shared a celebratory post on Instagram featuring the team, accompanied by a cutting caption.
‘lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,’ the post stated.
This seemed to be a pointed jab at former Team USA gymnast MyKayla Skinner, who had previously criticized the team’s composition leading up to the games.
The members of the USA women’s gymnastics team after winning the team gold medal in Paris
Simone Biles captioned her celebration post with a veiled shot at a former Team USA member
MyKayla Skinner, a member of the 2020 Olympic team, criticized the 2024 team’s work ethic
In a now-deleted YouTube video, Skinner expressed her discontent with the team, which includes Biles, Chiles, Lee, Carey, and Hezly Rivera, claiming they lacked the proper ‘work ethic’.
‘Aside from Simone, I feel the talent and depth just don’t match what it was in the past,’ the 27-year-old stated.
‘The girls simply don’t exhibit the work ethic,’ Skinner went on, while addressing the US Center for SafeSport – an organization dedicated to reducing sexual abuse among minors and athletes in US Olympic sports.
‘It’s tough because SafeSport places restrictions on coaches, making them cautious about their words.’
‘While that can be beneficial, I believe that to reach elite levels in gymnastics demands a certain assertiveness and intensity.’
Following her remarks, Biles fire back at Skinner on Threads, stating that ‘not everyone requires a microphone and a platform’.
After Skinner’s comments, Biles and several other gymnasts, including Chiles, Lee, and Carey, blocked her on social media.
Later, Skinner issued an apology for her comments.
Skinner, who won a silver medal on vault at the 2020 Games in Tokyo after stepping in for Biles, recently criticized the 2024 Olympic gymnastics roster for not having ‘work ethic’
In the midst of the backlash regarding her earlier comments, Skinner mentioned in an Instagram video last week: ‘I believe many of you may have misunderstood my intentions or what I said.’
‘Much of what I referred to wasn’t solely about the current team, as I have love and support for all the girls who made it, and I am immensely proud of them.’
‘It was more about reflecting back on my personal experience in the gym, where the work ethic has changed compared to the time during the Marta [Karolyi] era. I’m not defending Marta or claiming her actions were justified; I’m just pointing out the differences.’
Responses to her statements included numerous comments with some recognizing the intended target of her remarks.
‘NEVER A DOUBT,’ said American Olympic skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin.
‘F AROUND AND FIND OUT,’ commented Biles’ husband and Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, who also added ‘Gold medalist’.
‘This caption is a gold medal-worthy statement,’ noted one Biles supporter.
Another remarked, ‘Lol she’s probably envious that you all won.’
‘IN THAT FKN ORDER LACK OF TALENT & LAZY OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS,’ another fan declared. ‘Simone, you’re a powerhouse for this caption.’
Both Biles and Skinner have represented Team USA in multiple competitions, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
They also each earned Olympic medals in Tokyo, despite Biles having to withdraw from several events due to the ‘twisties’, a mental block that affects a gymnast’s ability to maintain control during mid-air twisting maneuvers.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
