On Wednesday, former Olympian MyKayla Skinner went viral after making controversial remarks about the U.S. women’s gymnastics team ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Her comments drew a sharp response from fellow Olympian Simone Biles.
Skinner, a silver medalist, didn’t hold back in her criticism, stating, “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. I mean, obviously, a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.” She further elaborated, “A lot of girls don’t work as hard. It’s hard too because of SafeSport. Coaches can’t 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…a little aggressive, a little intense.”
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Skinner’s reference to SafeSport pertains to the authority established by Congress in 2017 to prevent and respond to all forms of abuse and misconduct within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
While Simone Biles did not mention Skinner by name, she responded on social media, writing, “Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” It was evident she was addressing Skinner’s since-deleted YouTube video, which had sparked significant backlash.
Biles and Skinner were teammates on the 2021 Tokyo Olympic team, making Skinner’s remarks particularly notable. Jordan Chiles’ mother also reacted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Whoa. She really said that out loud and posted it. That’s something….” Chiles, along with Jade Carey and Suni Lee, was also part of the 2021 Olympic team with Skinner.
Facing mounting criticism from fans and fellow gymnasts, Skinner took to her Instagram story to clarify her statements. “I know we did the re-cap on YouTube, and I feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said,” she explained. “A lot of the stuff I was talking about wasn’t always necessarily about the current team because I love and support all the girls that made it, and I’m so proud of them. It was more about going back into my own gym and the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Marta [Karolyi] era.”
Skinner continued, “I’m not sticking up for Marta or saying what she did was good. I’m just saying it was different. So sorry for anything that got out of context or seemed hurtful; I love those girls and I’m seriously so happy for them so I would never do anything to make them feel otherwise.”
Simone Biles recently secured her spot for a third Olympic Games, set to be held in Paris this summer. She will be joined by Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, who were selected at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis.
Biles, at 27, will make history as the oldest female American gymnast to compete in the Olympics in 72 years, further solidifying her legendary status in the sport.
