2024-08-02 01:37:39
Simone Biles is celebrating success at the Olympic Games in Paris. But behind the scenes, a dispute is taking place that is making headlines.
At the Tokyo Summer Games, Simone Biles dropped out right at the start of the team final after a botched jump. Four years later, she is now celebrating a triumphant comeback in Paris. The 27-year-old won gold with the team on Tuesday, July 30.
Simone Biles was also happy about her victory on Instagram: She posted several photos of herself and her teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera – but the caption was irritating. “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions,” it read.
With these words, Simone Biles took a shot at her former teammate Mykayla Skinner. The former gymnast criticized the current Olympians in a YouTube video in June. “Aside from Simone, I feel like the talent and depth of the team is not what it used to be. A lot of the girls aren’t working as hard anymore,” she said in the now-deleted clip.
Simone Biles’ Instagram post was not the only reaction to Skinner’s statements: Numerous social media users also criticized the 27-year-old. The ex-gymnast then apologized on X. In the statement, she said that her words had been “misinterpreted or misunderstood.” “It was not my intention to insult or disrespect any of the athletes or diminish their hard work,” she wrote. But that was not the last word. As Simone Biles now reveals on her X profile, she was blocked on the platform by her former teammate.
Under the post, numerous users made fun of Mykayla Skinner. “Usually the trash takes itself out,” “Let me know if a hater has tried it on you and failed,” and “I didn’t buy her apology either,” are just a few of the comments. The ex-athlete has yet to respond.
Simone Biles and Mykayla Skinner both competed for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After winning a silver medal in the competition, Skinner retired from gymnastics.