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    MyKayla Skinner Apologized For Her Controversial Comments About The 2024 Olympics U.S. Gymnastics Team, And Simone Biles Seemingly Responded

    By Larry Fitzmaurice,

    2 days ago

    This is MyKayla Skinner. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as part of the U.S. Gymnastics team.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1nWRyK_0uHB8yBI00
    Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

    Another, much more notable U.S. Gymnastics team member is Simone Biles , who is also set to compete as part of this summer's Olympics in Paris .

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3loxpl_0uHB8yBI00
    Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images

    So, MyKayla recently uploaded a YouTube video that's since been deleted, where she made disparaging comments about the current U.S. Gymnastics team — as well as the nonprofit organization U.S. Center for SafeSport , which aims to end abusive practices within the world of athletics.

    @gymguyri / Via x.com

    "Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't like what it used to be," she said in the video. "The girls just don't have the work ethic."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1PrHGH_0uHB8yBI00
    Maja Hitij / Getty Images

    MyKayla went on to criticize SafeSport, saying they make it "hard" because "coaches can't get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=152LkK_0uHB8yBI00

    "Which, in some ways, is really good," she noted, "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."

    Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

    MyKayla's comments were, on many levels, as stupid as it gets — and her attempt to clarify and apologize for what she said wasn't much better.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0vmf2B_0uHB8yBI00
    Maja Hitij / Getty Images

    "Hey, guys, just wanted to pop on here really quick, because I know we did the recap on YouTube, and I feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said," she commented in a since-expired IG story slide (via Entertainment Tonight ).

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3IU3Bl_0uHB8yBI00
    Loic Venance / AFP via Getty Images

    She went on to say that "a lot of the stuff" she said "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."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0LJJWK_0uHB8yBI00
    Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

    "So anyway, sorry for anything that got out of context or seemed hurtful. That is never my intention. And seriously, throughout the video, I was so pumped for the girls, and it was fun watching trials and doing a live with everybody."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3SedZd_0uHB8yBI00
    Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

    MyKayla's wishy-washy statement didn't do much to quell those who were upset by her comments — including her former teammate Simone, who appeared to weigh in on (get ready for this) Threads . (Threads!)

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    Jamie Squire / Getty Images

    "Not everyone needs a mic and a platform," she wrote. That's real.

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    Patrick Smith / Getty Images

    Will MyKayla issue another response as the criticism mounts? We'll see!

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