MyKayla Skinner controversy, explained: Gymnast apologizes for criticism of U.S. Olympic team after Biles call-out

Everyone might have their opinion about this year's U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. But not everyone chooses to share it.

One individual who did decide to weigh in is Olympic medalist MyKayla Skinner, who won silver on the vault at the 2021 Games.

Skinner's reaction to the 2024 team selection stirred up controversy. She criticized several of the athletes and didn't shy away from laying into the current state of U.S. gymnastics.

It wasn't long before her former teammate Simone Biles called her out indirectly on social media, and when the G.O.A.T. calls you out, you'd better respond.

Though Skinner's reply to Biles might not meet the standard of an apology many might have wanted, Skinner did share her thoughts on the situation and apologized in her own way. One thing we do know: Biles is headed to Paris, and Skinner is not.

MORE: Complete results from 2024 U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials

What did MyKayla Skinner say about the 2024 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team?

A condensed version of Skinner's reaction to the final announcement of the 2024 Olympic team during a two-hour watch party on YouTube can be watched below. Several injuries sidelined top competitors before and during the Olympic trials, resulting in a team filled with mostly familiar faces from 2021.

"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,” Skinner said.

She went on to say: "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."

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is the independent, 501(c)(3) authority run by Congress created in 2017 "to prevent and respond to all forms of abuse and misconduct within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement." Skinner seemed to imply that SafeSport bars coaches from "aggressive" treatment of athletes, a particularly sensitive topic in U.S. gymnastics, which has been roiled by abuse scandals.

Skinner, 27, also said: "Not saying anything to the girls that got injured, but if I could come back, I think I would be able to do it. And I think I probably could've made that Olympic team."

What did Simone Biles respond to MyKayla Skinner?

Biles was concise and prompt in a seeming response to Skinner on Threads , writing: "Not everyone needs a mic and a platform." Biles was the only member of this year's U.S. Olympic team explicitly excluded from Skinner's harsh comments about the lack of "talent" and "depth."

Biles and Skinner were teammates on the 2021 Tokyo Olympic team. Though Biles didn't tag Skinner, the intended recipient seemed clear-cut to gymnastics observers.

Jordan Chiles' mother also chimed in on X , saying: "Whoa. She really said that out loud and posted it. That's something...." Chiles was on the 2021 Olympic team as well, and so were Jade Carey and Suni Lee. All three will be joining Biles again this year alongside newcomer Hezly Rivera.

MORE: Meet the full roster for Paris, from Simone Biles to Hezly Rivera

MyKayla Skinner apologizes amid controversy

Skinner apologized on her Instagram story on July 3, saying: "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.

"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.

"I’m not sticking up for Marta or saying what she did was good," Skinner continued. "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."

MORE: Why USA gymnastics chose Hezly Rivera over Joscelyn Roberson

MyKayla Skinner Olympic record

Skinner was the 2021 Olympic vault silver medalist and an alternate for the 2016 Olympic team. She also competed for the University of Utah's gymnastics team from 2016 to 2019 and was a two-time NCAA event champion.

After finishing fifth at the 2021 Olympic trials, Skinner was selected to a non-nominative spot at the Tokyo Games, meaning she would compete as an individual rather than on the four-member team.

She finished in 11th place in the all-around and fourth place on the vault, so she initially did not qualify to either final due to the two-per-country limitations, and Biles, Lee and Carey all finished ahead of her.

When Biles dropped out, though, Skinner took her place in the vault final, finishing second for the silver medal. Following the Olympic Games, she announced she would retire from competitive gymnastics and her career as an athlete came to an end.