\n<\/p>\n
Simone Biles<\/strong><\/a> is on the outs with former teammate MyKayla Skinner<\/strong> after the retired gymnast made controversial comments about the team chosen to represent the United States in gymnastics at the 2024 Olympics.<\/p>\n Simone and MyKayla were both selected to represent the United States at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which took place during summer 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the Games began, MyKayla announced that she would be retiring from the sport after Tokyo.<\/p>\n MyKayla did not qualify to compete in any of the final rounds of competition and received support from Simone on social media. \u201cSo proud of this one,\u201d the Ohio native wrote. \u201cNo one understands the hard work and dedication it takes to come back from collegiate gymnastics and make an olympic team. You did the damn thing! Thanks for reminding us that grandmas can do it too. Thanks for keeping gym light hearted and fun! I love you Ms Olympian.\u201d<\/p>\n However, when Simone later withdrew from several events due to suffering a mental block called the \u201ctwisties,\u201d MyKayla stepped in to take her place<\/a> on the vault. She ended up winning a silver medal.<\/p>\n After the Olympic trials in June 2024, MyKayla faced backlash for comments she made about the team selected. In addition to Simone, MyKayla\u2019s former Olympic teammates Suni Lee, Jade Carey <\/strong>and Jordan Chiles<\/strong> all made the 2024 team, along with rookie Hezly Rivera<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cBesides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn\u2019t what it used to be,\u201d she said in a YouTube video, which has since been deleted. \u201cI mean, obviously, a lot of girls don\u2019t work as hard. The girls just don\u2019t have the work ethic. A lot of girls don\u2019t work as hard. It\u2019s hard, too, because of SafeSport. Coaches can\u2019t get on athletes which in some ways is really good but at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be \u2026 a little aggressive, a little intense.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortly after the video of MyKayla went viral, Simone seemingly shared her response via Instagram Threads<\/a>. \u201cNot everyone needs a mic and a platform,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n MyKayla apologized for the statement she made in the video via her Instagram<\/a> Story.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said,\u201d she explained, adding that \u201ca lot of the stuff\u201d she said \u201cwasn\u2019t always necessarily about the current team, because I love and support all the girls that made it and I\u2019m so proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued, \u201cIt was more about going back into my own gym, just the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the M\u00e1rta [K\u00e1rolyi] era. And I\u2019m not sticking up for M\u00e1rta or saying what she did was good, I\u2019m just saying it was different. So anyway, sorry for anything that got out of context or seemed hurtful. That is never my intention. And seriously, throughout the video, I was so pumped for the girls, and it was so fun watching trials and doing a live with everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, MyKayla released the following statement: \u201cI 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. 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 every one of you. Upon reflection I was comparing the \u2018Marta Era\u2019 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. It is most important to me that the sport I love continue down the path of healing and ensures a positive environment for all. I wish you all the very best in Paris. I will be cheering you all on! Go Team USA!\u201d<\/p>\n After the U.S. women\u2019s gymnastics team won a gold medal<\/a> in the team competition at the 2024 Olympics, Simone posted a photo of their celebrations on Instagram<\/a> with the caption, \u201clack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.\u201d<\/p>\n The message appeared to be shade<\/a> toward MyKayla, referencing the comments that the former athlete made in her YouTube video.<\/p>\n One day later, Simone wrote on X<\/a>, \u201cOop I\u2019ve been blocked,\u201d along with three emojis. She did not specify who blocked her, but fans immediately speculated that it was MyKayla.<\/p>\n Later that afternoon, Jordan Chiles confirmed Simone was referencing MyKayla<\/a> in her post. She shared a photo to her Instagram Story that showed Simone trying to view MyKayla\u2019s Instagram profile, only to be met with a \u201cno posts available\u201d message.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen she blocks Simone,\u201d Jordan captioned the post.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n2021 \u2013 Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner Are Teammates at the 2020 Olympics<\/h2>\n
July 3, 2024 \u2013 MyKayla Skinner Shades U.S. Gymnastics Team Ahead of 2024 Olympics<\/h2>\n
July 3, 2024 \u2013 Simone Biles Responds to MyKayla Skinner\u2019s Comments<\/h2>\n
July 4, 2024 \u2013 MyKayla Skinner Apologizes for Controversial Comments<\/h2>\n
July 30, 2024 \u2013 Simone Biles Shades MyKayla Skinner at 2024 Olympics<\/h2>\n
July 31, 2024 \u2013 MyKayla Skinner Blocks Simone Biles<\/h2>\n