Simone Biles has her squad’s back.
The storied gymnast – who will soon head to Paris with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics – sent a whirling dig toward MyKayla Skinner after the latter belittled the team’s work ethic.
“Not everyone needs a mic and a platform,” Biles allegedly wrote Wednesday on Threads, as captured by The Daily Mail.
Simone Biles was quick to back her squadMatt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Skinner, in a since-deleted YouTube video, had harsh comments about the Olympic squad.
Current all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera are all rostered alongside Biles – encompassing the rest of the five-woman team.
Skinner and Biles both represented USA at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner allegedly said, per The Daily Mail. “The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
MyKayla Skinner at the 2020 Summer OlympicsAP
Skinner’s remarks also referenced the US Center for SafeSport – a non-profit organization imposed to reduce 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual abuse of minors and athletes in US Olympic sports – to further hammer home her point.
“And it’s hard too because of SafeSport. Like, coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say,” Skinner allegedly said.
MyKayla Skinner talks about the state of Team USAAP
“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, I feel like, a little aggressive and a little intense.”
Her comments garnered much backlash on social media platforms before she apologized via an Instagram post Sunday.
“It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work,” she wrote.
“Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you.”
Skinner also admitted in her letter that she has not gotten over the “emotional and verbal abuse” she endured during her time with Team USA, which influenced her potent comments.
