Simone Biles fires back at former USA teammate who accused 2024 Olympics roster of not having ‘the work ethic’ ahead of Paris Games

### Simone Biles Responds to MyKayla Skinner’s Criticism of 2024 Olympic Team’s Work Ethic

Simone Biles has subtly rebuked her former USA gymnastics teammate, MyKayla Skinner, following Skinner’s critical remarks about the work ethic of the 2024 Olympic gymnastics roster. In a now-deleted YouTube video, Skinner, who secured a silver medal on vault at the 2020 Tokyo Games after Biles stepped aside, questioned the commitment of the athletes selected to represent Team USA in Paris this summer.

“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner, 27, commented. She criticized the current team, which includes Biles, reigning all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera, for what she perceived as a lack of dedication. Skinner also referenced the US Center for SafeSport, an organization aimed at preventing sexual abuse in US Olympic sports, suggesting that its regulations might hinder the rigorous training required for high-level gymnastics.

“And it’s hard too because of SafeSport. Like, 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, I feel like, a little aggressive and a little intense,” Skinner said.

Skinner’s remarks quickly drew backlash on social media, leading her to issue an apology, asserting that her comments were misunderstood and taken out of context. She emphasized that her critique was not directed at the current team but rather at the general work ethic she observed, comparing it to the stricter training regimen under former national team coordinator Marta Karolyi.

Despite not naming Skinner directly, Biles appeared to respond to her comments through a post on Threads, stating, “not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” Biles and Skinner have a long history, having competed together at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning and winning Olympic medals at the Tokyo Games, where Biles withdrew from several events due to a mental block known as the “twisties.”

In an Instagram video following the controversy, Skinner clarified her position: “I feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said. A lot of the stuff that I was talking about wasn’t always necessarily about the current team, because I love and support all the girls that made it and I’m so proud of them. It was more about going back into my own gym, and the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Marta [Karolyi] era. And I’m not sticking up for Marta or saying what she did was good; I’m just saying it was different.”

The comments have reignited discussions about the balance between supportive coaching and the rigorous demands of elite gymnastics training.