The triumph of Simone Biles and the US women’s gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been overshadowed by an escalating feud with former teammate MyKayla Skinner. After clinching the gold medal, Biles posted a photo on Instagram with the caption ‘lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,’ a clear jab at Skinner’s earlier criticism of the team’s work ethic and talent pool.The conflict intensified when Biles revealed that Skinner had blocked her on social media. Biles posted on X.com, ‘Oop, I’ve been blocked,’ accompanied by emojis, mocking what she perceived as Skinner’s pettiness. Teammate Jordan Chiles added fuel to the fire by posting a screenshot of Biles’ phone being blocked by Skinner’s account.Other gymnasts have publicly rallied behind Biles. Suni Lee commented on Biles’ Instagram post, saying, ‘Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you’. Former Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney also weighed in, commenting, ‘It doesn’t get more iconic than this… She f’ed around n found out fr’.Skinner had previously apologized for her comments, stating, ‘It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work’. However, this apology seems to have done little to resolve the conflict.Despite the drama, Biles’ achievement cannot be overlooked. With this victory, she has become the most decorated American Olympic gymnast in history. The team, which Biles referred to as the ‘Golden Girls’ due to being the oldest Olympic team, scored 171.296 points to win the gold medal.Biles is set to compete in the all-around final on August 1, the vault final on August 3, and the floor and beam finals on August 5, providing more opportunities to add to her impressive medal tally.
Key points
- Simone Biles and the US women’s gymnastics team won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Biles revealed that former teammate MyKayla Skinner blocked her on social media, escalating their public feud.
- Other gymnasts, including Suni Lee and McKayla Maroney, have publicly supported Biles in the conflict.
- Despite the drama, Biles has become the most decorated American Olympic gymnast in history.
Contradictions👾While Skinner apologized for her initial comments, the blocking of Biles on social media suggests the apology may not have been sincere or effective in resolving the conflict.
