Athletes draw inspiration from various sources. For Simone Biles, some of the motivation that fueled her performance in Tuesday’s women’s gymnastics team final stemmed from a familiar face.
After Biles played a crucial role in securing the United States a team gold for the third time in four Olympics, the 27-year-old took to Instagram to share a celebratory photo of herself with fellow gold medalists Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera on the podium.
Her six-word caption conveyed her feelings concisely: “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.
The reference may not resonate with those unfamiliar with the latest gymternet news. Biles’ comment was a direct reply to recent remarks made by MyKayla Skinner, a former US gymnast who won a silver on vault at the 2020 Olympics.
Skinner ignited controversy during this year’s US Olympic trials when she uploaded a YouTube video critiquing the team’s talent, depth, and work ethic aside from Biles.
“Excluding Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth isn’t what it used to be,” Skinner stated. “Clearly, many girls are not putting in the effort. The work ethic among the girls is lacking. It’s challenging due to SafeSport; coaches must tread carefully in their approach to athletes, which has its merits, but reaching the top in gymnastics often requires a bit of aggression and intensity.”
The US Center for SafeSport is the authority responsible for preventing athlete sexual abuse, which has been a widespread issue within USA Gymnastics for many years.
after newsletter promotion
Skinner’s statements were met with swift backlash from the US gymnastics community, including Biles, prompting Skinner to publish another video attributing the controversy to viewers “misinterpreting or misunderstanding” her words. Three days later, she issued a formal apology.
It remains unclear if Biles has truly forgiven her former teammate. However, it was evident early Wednesday morning that the five-time Olympic gold medalist certainly remembered.
Source link
