Simone Biles won’t stand – or flip or vault or handspring – for anyone dissing the U.S. Gymnastics team.
Even if they are a former teammate!
Over the July 4th weekend, MyKayla Skinner, a silver medalist in the 2020 Olympics, took some deserved heat after commenting the team headed to Paris wasn’t up to snuff.
This included a not-so-subtle jab from her Simone, who made it clear that not everyone needs to share their opinion.
Simone Biles Shades MyKayla Skinner After She Calls Gymnastics Team Not ‘Aggressive’ Enough
“Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.”
That’s was Simone Biles wrote on July 3 on Threads, without any further comment or dropping any names. But even without calling her out directly, it seemed clear to anyone who was following the drama what Simone was referencing.
A few days earlier, MyKayla Skinner, who stood alongside Simone in the 2020 Olympics, criticized the team headed to Paris’ work ethic.
Besides Simone, fellow gymnasts Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera will represent Team USA in Paris.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” MyKayla said in a since-deleted YouTube video.
“The girls just don’t have the work ethic,” MyKayla continued, before referencing the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit organization, helping to end abuse in athletics. “And it’s hard too because of SafeSport. Like, coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say.”
“Which, in some ways, is really good,” she noted, “but at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be, I feel like, a little aggressive and a little intense.”
MyKayla Skinner Apologizes
After Simon’s dig, MyKayla responded to the backlash with a quick video in which she said her comments were misinterpreted.
That clearly wasn’t enough to suffice the outcry, so she released a more extensive apology on July 7.
“I want to formally apologize to Team, USA and to our gymnastic community for my comments during my recent YouTube episodes of the gymnastics Olympic trials,” she wrote on Instagram. “it was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work. your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and everyone of you.”
In an effort to explain her comments further, she added that she too is still coming to terms with “the emotional and verbal abuse” she endured while training under former national team coordinator Márta Károlyi.
“Upon reflection, I was comparing the “Marta era” to the current era. I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments. I take full responsibility for what I said, and I deeply apologize.”
Thus far, Simone has not responded to MyKayla’s apology – but maybe she doesn’t have to? She has a lot to focus on now, after all.