Following her recent victory at the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles seemed to make a comment directed at her former teammate, MyKayla Skinner, sparking considerable interest and speculation among fans. This intrigue stems from Biles’s social media posts that appeared to reference a prior controversy involving Skinner. Fans are now eager to uncover what happened between the former gymnastic teammates. Here are all the details.
What did Simone Biles say about MyKayla Skinner?
Following her gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles appeared to address past comments from MyKayla Skinner. Biles shared photos of her along with Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera celebrating their win in the women’s gymnastics team final. Her Instagram post featured a caption that read, “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
The controversy began when Skinner, in a now-deleted YouTube video, expressed doubts about the depth of talent among U.S. gymnasts, claiming that many lacked the necessary work ethic. She said, “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be. A lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
Skinner also suggested that the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which addresses abuse in sports, might be limiting coaches’ ability to push athletes effectively. Skinner’s comments drew criticism from several members of the gymnastics community, including Biles. She posted on Threads that “Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.”
Following the backlash, Skinner issued a public apology, clarifying that her comments were not intended to offend or belittle the efforts of her fellow gymnasts. She emphasized that her remarks were misinterpreted.
Both Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner had significant roles at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles struggled with the “twisties,” a mental block affecting her performance, and Skinner stepped in to compete after Biles withdrew from several events. Skinner retired from gymnastics in August 2021.
