PARIS — She and Suni Lee are dancing with the American flag. Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey flank them on either side, smiling broadly and Jordan Chiles holds her fist in the air. At first glance, it’s just another celebratory post on Simone Biles’ Instagram, part of a post-Olympic gold medal-winning reel showing her with her teammates and her husband.
Except underneath the picture, Biles added a caption: “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
Somewhere in Paris, Biles dropped the mic directly on MyKayla Skinner’s head.
Though Biles didn’t reference Skinner, it would seem like the most decorated American gymnast of all time had her former teammate on her mind. After the Olympic Trials, Skinner posted a now-deleted YouTube video, saying in part that “besides Simone, I feel like the talent and depth isn’t what it used to be,” adding that “a lot of girls don’t work as hard, and don’t have the work ethic.” Skinner, who won silver in 2020 with Biles, went on to say that she thought SafeSport, designed to identify abusive coaches, prevented coaches from pushing gymnasts as hard as necessary, and questioned the strength of the competition at the trials, wondering how someone who “fell twice” could finish second.
Unlike so many athletes, who like to pretend they don’t read what’s written about them, Biles knows what’s being said about her. She’s keeping the receipts.
Since her comeback post-Tokyo, Biles has spoken openly about the trolls who call her a quitter. She responded immediately to Skinner’s comments, posting on social media that “not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” Skinner later posted the obligatory apology, saying that the abuse she says she endured at the hands of Márta Károlyi may have led to her “hurtful comments.”
Seems fair to surmise that Biles has not entirely accepted the apology.
Required reading
(Photo of Simone Biles: Ulrik Pedersen / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
