Simone Biles appeared to clap back at critics – including a former teammate of hers – after winning the team gold medal for women’s gymnastics at the Paris Olympics.
Biles, along with Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey, dominated the field – winning by nearly five-and-a-half points over Italy.
On her Instagram after the accomplishment, Biles posted a picture of the team with a brutal caption.
‘lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,’ the post read.
That appears to be a specific dig at a former Team USA gymnast, MyKayla Skinner, who criticized the team’s makeup in the run-up to the games.
The members of the USA women’s gymnastics team after winning the team gold medal in Paris
Simone Biles captioned her celebration post with a veiled shot at a former Team USA member
MyKayla Skinner, a member of the 2020 Olympic team, criticized the 2024 team’s work ethic
In a now-deleted YouTube video, Skinner blasted the team of Biles, Chiles, Lee, Carey, and Hezly Rivera for not having the right ‘work ethic’.
‘Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,’ the 27-year-old said.
‘The girls just don’t have the work ethic,’ Skinner continued before referencing the US Center for SafeSport – a non-profit organization set up to reduce sexual abuse of minors and athletes in US Olympic sports.
‘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.
‘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.’
In the immediate aftermath of that, Biles clapped back at Skinner, writing on Threads, ‘not everyone needs a mic and a platform’.
Biles and a number of other gymnasts, including Chiles, Lee, and Carey, all blocked Skinner on social media after her comments.
Skinner would later go on to apologize for her comments.
Skinner, who won a silver medal on vault at the 2020 Games in Tokyo after stepping in for Biles, recently criticized the 2024 Olympic gymnastics roster for not having ‘work ethic’
A number of people left comments under the post – with some recognizing who its intended target was.
‘NEVER A DOUBT’, wrote American Olympic skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin.
‘F AROUND AND FIND OUT,’ wrote Biles’ husband and Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens – who also commented ‘Gold medalist’.
‘This caption is also worthy of a gold medal,’ wrote one Biles fan.
Another said, ‘Lol she’s probably so jealous that you guys won.’
‘IN THAT FKN ORDER LACK OF TALENT & LAZY OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS,’ wrote another fan. ‘Simone you a menace for this caption.’
MORE TO FOLLOW.
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