Paris Olympics: Gymnast Simone Biles shades ex-teammate MyKayla Skinner for old critique

July 31 (UPI) -- Gymnast Simone Biles threw subtle shade at ex-teammate MyKayla Skinner for criticizing Team USA's talent level, referencing the slight in an Instagram post celebrating a gold medal in the team final at Paris 2024.

"Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions," Biles wrote Tuesday on the social media platform.

Biles also included a series of photos alongside current teammates Jordan Chiles , Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera after the Americans won gold in the women's team final Tuesday in Paris.

Skinner was a Team USA alternate when Biles first went to the Olympics in 2016. She competed alongside Biles at Tokyo 2020, but retired after that competition, which was held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)

Biles' response came after comments Skinner made earlier this summer in a since-deleted YouTube video. That footage is still available on X.

"Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't what it used to be," Skinner said in the video. "I mean, obviously, a lot of girls just don't work as hard. The girls just don't have the work ethic," Skinner wrote.

She continued: "It's hard, too, because of SafeSport [an organization created to reduce sexual abuse of minors and athletes in Olympic sports in the United States]. 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 a little aggressive, a little intense."

Skinner first said her comments were " misinterpreted or misunderstood ." She later issued another apology , writing that it was not her "intention to offense or disrespect" the athletes.

Biles appeared to offer a response to Skinner's comments July 3 on Threads, but did not specifically say her name.

"Not everyone needs a mic and a platform," she wrote on the social media platform.

In the wake of Skinner's initial comments, some social media users misidentified her for McKayla Maroney, aiming their disagreement at the wrong former Olympic gymnast.

Maroney commented on Biles' post Tuesday, offering support to the current team, while referencing Skinner.

"It doesn't get more iconic than this," Maroney wrote. "She [expletive] around and found out for real. Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name."

With Tuesday's victory, Biles captured her eighth medal to become the most-decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympics history. At 27, she also became the oldest female gymnast to win an Olympic medal.

The women's individual all-around final will be Thursday at Bercy Arena in Paris. The women's vault and uneven bars finals will be Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at the same facility. The balance beam and floor exercise finals will be Monday in Paris.