Simone Biles and Mykayla Skinner || Image credit: @simonebiles @mykaylaskinner2016
Olympian gymnasts Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner’s rivalry has taken a drastic turn after the former appears to have blocked her former teammate on Instagram.
The drama started when Biles posted a picture of the gymnastics team that won the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, along with a mysterious caption that many took to be a jab at Skinner.
When Simone Biles of Team USA won the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday at the 2024 Olympics, it was an incredible and joyous occasion. However, despite her happiness at becoming the most decorated Olympic gymnast ever, Biles found a spare moment to be petty.
The athlete appeared to be targeting MyKayla Skinner, a former Olympic team member, on her Instagram account.
Instead of opting for an emotional essay or something as simple as “Olympic Champions,” Biles shared a pointed caption alongside a triumphant photo of the team, titling the post, “lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸.”
The gold-medal message was quickly understood by gymnastics’ boisterous fan base. Biles’ acerbic remarks were a clear jab at her former teammate, Mykayla Skinner, the silver medallist at the 2021 Olympics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-ESNIFIQ8l/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Skinner had previously criticized the current women’s gymnastics team for its lack of skill and effort.
MyKayla Skinner, who competed with the team in Tokyo, began earlier this year when Skinner reportedly said of Team USA, in a since-deleted video, that “besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be” and “the girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
Shortly after her remarks became public, Skinner apologized, but it did not stop her former teammates from taking notice.
After it went viral, Biles’ Instagram post gained support from her teammates and several other well-known Olympians.
Adding fuel to the fire, Biles later shared a screenshot suggesting that Skinner had blocked the Olympic champion on Instagram, confirming growing tension between the two athletes.
Throughout their competitive careers, Skinner and Biles were teammates numerous times, such as at the 2014 World Championships and the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
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