Between reveling in the excitement of Team USA’s gold medal win and preparing for her individual all-around competition, gymnast Simone Biles took a little time to let the haters know that she rides hard for her Golden Girls. This week, Biles clapped back at a comment made about the 2024 US women’s gymnastics team by former Team USA gymnast MyKayla Skinner.
Skinner, a member of the 2021 women’s gymnastics team that won the silver team medal in Tokyo, also won an individual silver medal on vault. But she’s been in the spotlight for criticizing this year’s squad for what she believes is their lack of drive in the gym.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner said in a YouTube video after the 2024 Olympic team was announced. “I just noticed like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
Skinner added that this year’s athletes aren’t facing the same level of competition as teams in the past because gymnastics powerhouse Russia is not competing due to their involvement in the conflict with Ukraine. “What other teams really are there?” she asked.
Although she deleted her video from YouTube, we found a clip of Skinner’s comments on X here:
After team USA won their gold medal, Biles threw a little classy shade at Skinner, posting a photo of herself and her teammates on Instagram on July 31 with the caption, “Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
Of course, the comments came in hot:
“and that’s on periodt!!” cosigned Biles’ 2024 teammate Jordan Chiles.
“@simonebiles you went from the twisties to don’t get it twisted!!!! Love it!!!🥇🇺🇸🥇🇺🇸” wrote another person in the comments.
“micdrop.” wrote 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin.
Apparently, all of that heat was too much for Skinner, who blocked Biles on socials, as Biles confirmed in a July 31 post on X, writing “oop I’ve been blocked.”
Looks like MyKayla Skinner f’’d around and found out what happens when you come for the Golden Girls!