Simone Biles and Mykayla Skinner’s bitter Olympic feud escalates

Simone Biles gets BLOCKED by MyKayla Skinner as their bitter Olympics gymnastics feud escalates

Simone Biles has apparently been blocked on social media by former USA Gymnastics teammate MyKayla Skinner amid their escalating online feud.  Issues between the two began when Skinner criticized USA Gymnastics’ Olympic roster heading into the ongoing games, saying in a since-deleted YouTube clip that ‘besides Simone’ the ‘girls just don’t have the work ethic’ or ‘talent.’

Having won team gold at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, Biles shot back at Skinner on Instagram, writing: ‘lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.’  Now, as Biles hinted on X, she no longer has access to Skinner’s social media posts: ‘oop I’ve been blocked.’  And just in case there were any doubt, Biles’ current teammate Jordan Chiles shared a photo online showing Skinner’s blank Instagram page appearing on a mobile phone. And to clear up any confusion, Chiles added a caption: ‘When she blocks Simone.’

Simone Biles took aim at ex-Olympic teammate MyKayla Skinner (left) on Instagram this week

Simone Biles has apparently crossed a line with former teammate MyKayla Skinner

Biles’ current teammate Jordan Chiles shared a photo online showing Skinner’s blank IG page

Biles isn’t the only current and former Team USA member poking fun at Skinner after Tuesday’s gold medal-winning performance. USA gymnastics royalty McKayla Maroney has become embroiled in the bitter feud as well.  ‘It doesn’t get more iconic than this,’ Maroney wrote on Instagram in response to Biles’ post. ‘[Skinner] f’d around n found out fr.’

Maroney then joked about sharing a moniker with Skinner.  ‘Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name,’ she wrote.  Skinner, who won silver on the vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been under fire for her comments about her former teammates.  ‘The girls just don’t have the work ethic,’ Skinner continued before referencing the US Center for SafeSport – a non-profit organization set up to reduce sexual and emotional abuse of athletes in US Olympic sports.

‘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,’ Skinner said.  ‘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.’  In the immediate aftermath of that, Biles clapped back at Skinner, writing on Threads, ‘not everyone needs a mic and a platform’.

Simone Biles captioned her celebration post with a veiled shot at a former Team USA member

Maroney joked that she needs to apologize just for sharing a first name with Skinner

Skinner would later go on to apologize.  ‘I want to formally apologize to Team USA and to our gymnastic community for my comments during my recent YouTube episodes of the gymnastics Olympic trials. It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work,’ Skinner’s apology from July 6 read.

She continued, ‘Upon reflection I was comparing the ‘Marta [Karolyi] era’ to the current era.  ‘I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments. I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize.’  Skinner finished her apology by wishing the gymnasts luck in Paris and that she would be ‘cheering you all on!’  Biles and Skinner both represented Team USA at a number of competitions – including at the 2020 Olympic Games.