Simone Biles received support from her teammates and former USA gymnasts after she defended the team in response to comments made by MyKayla Skinner, who criticized the work ethic and talent of the 2024 Team USA gymnasts. Biles posted photos celebrating their gold medal win on Instagram, with captions suggesting that the team had overcome criticisms of being lazy and lacking talent. Fellow athletes like Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera showed their support in the comments section and shared the post on their own social media accounts.
Former Team USA gymnasts also praised Biles for her response to Skinner’s comments. Nastia Liukin and Laurie Hernandez, who competed with Biles in the 2016 Rio Olympics, expressed their support and pride for her. Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan and Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, also defended her in the face of criticism, with Owens making a strong statement to those who doubted Biles. The outpouring of support for Biles came after Skinner apologized for her controversial remarks in a video on YouTube, clarifying that her comments were not directed at the current team but rather reflected on the differences in work ethic between past and present gymnasts.
Skinner’s comments about the current Team USA gymnasts centered on the differences in work ethic she observed in her own gym compared to the training standards during the era of former national team coordinator, Marta Karolyi. Karolyi was known for her strict rules for elite-level gymnasts and was later implicated in the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, leading to her and her husband Bela Karolyi being cut ties with USA Gymnastics. Skinner’s remarks also criticized SafeSport, an organization dedicated to preventing abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sports.
Despite the controversy surrounding Skinner’s comments, Biles made history by becoming the most-decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all time after the Tokyo Games. Her decision to withdraw from the Games for mental health reasons and subsequent comeback were met with praise from fans and fellow athletes, including McKayla Maroney, who defended Biles against criticisms and celebrated her achievements. Biles’ resilience and determination in overcoming challenges both on and off the gymnastics mat have solidified her status as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, earning her the support and admiration of her teammates and the broader gymnastics community.
