Simone Biles Triumphs in Paris Olympics Amid Former Teammate’s Criticism

Simone Biles, the iconic gymnast, has addressed criticism from her former teammate MyKayla Skinner with a celebratory post following the US gymnastics team’s gold medal win at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Celebrating the Win

Biles, 27, took to Instagram to share photos of herself and her teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera celebrating their victory in the team gymnastics final. Her caption, “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,” seemed to directly counter Skinner’s earlier remarks.

The Controversy

Skinner, also 27, had previously sparked controversy with comments made in a now-deleted YouTube video posted on June 30, in which she critiqued the current Team USA gymnasts. “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” she said. “A lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”

Biles succinctly responded on Threads, saying, “not everyone needs a mic and a platform,” before her Instagram post celebrating the team’s gold medal.

Skinner’s Response

Following public backlash, Skinner attempted to clarify her comments on Instagram Stories, asserting they had been “misinterpreted or misunderstood.” She later issued an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work,” she wrote. “I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize.”

Historic Achievement

Both Biles and Skinner competed for Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Skinner retired after winning a silver medal on vault. With the team gold on Tuesday, Biles now holds the record for the most Olympic medals by any US gymnast, further cementing her legacy as the most decorated gymnast of all time.

Simone Biles’ extraordinary career continues to inspire, and her response to criticism highlights her resilience and dedication to her sport.