Simone Biles takes shot at former teammate after gold at Paris Olympics

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Simone Biles criticized a former teammate from the USA team after winning the gold medal in the team all-around event at the Paris Olympics.

In a recent interview, MyKayla Skinner called out the current group of gymnasts for not having the same level of dedication and commitment to their craft as previous teams. Skinner, who served as a backup for the United States in the Rio 2016 Olympics when Simone Biles took home her first gold medals, pointed out the differences in work ethic between then and now.

Skinner previously stated in a YouTube video that has since been removed, that she believes there is a decrease in talent and depth within gymnastics in comparison to previous years, aside from Simone.

She later mentioned that "the current girls lack the dedication and discipline that gymnasts from her era had."

However, Biles, who clinched her fifth gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics by leading the women's gymnastics team to victory, cleverly responded on social media.

Biles expressed that they are not lacking talent and are not lazy, despite being Olympic champions. She posted a photo with teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera proudly holding up the American flag.

Skinner replaced Biles in the vault final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when Biles withdrew due to experiencing the "twisties," and she went on to win the silver medal.

Skinner also mentioned a change in how coaches interact with gymnasts, stating: "Coaches shouldn't be too hard on athletes, which can be positive. However, in order to succeed in gymnastics, you still need to be assertive and focused."

Biles previously stated on Threads that not everyone requires a microphone and a stage to share their thoughts. However, Skinner later explained that her remarks were not accurately understood and had been misinterpreted.

She explained that much of her discussion focused on past experiences rather than the present team, as she holds a deep affection and admiration for all the girls who have been a part of the team and made it successful.

Returning to my own gym felt like a whole new experience, with a different level of dedication and work ethic than during the time of Marta Karolyi as our coach.

Biles expressed that she believed the USA had a point to make in Tokyo and that winning gold was incredibly important to her.

"We are thrilled," she exclaimed. "We feel privileged to be able to compete for the US at international events, but achieving that gold medal and reaching our goal was truly an incredible moment."

I believe that each of us had a point to demonstrate after Tokyo, and we achieved that tonight. It is incredibly meaningful to us. This was our main objective, although we kept it to ourselves as a personal goal we were striving for.

"But I believe that this is the reason why we are all here. We are thrilled to leave with the gold medal."