Getty Jordan Chiles confirms that MyKayla Skinner blocked Simone Biles on Instagram after Team USA gold medal
Jordan Chiles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team won a gold medal in the team event on July 30 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The gold medal was the first for TEAM USA in the event since 2016. After the win, Simone Biles seemingly made a sarcastic reference to MyKayla Skinner’s comments in a now-deleted YouTube video criticizing the U.S women’s gymnastics team’s work ethic.
On July 31, Biles said she was “blocked” in a post on X, but did not clarify who she was referring to.
“Oop I’ve been blocked 👀🫢😂,” Biles wrote on X.
oop I’ve been blocked 👀🫢😂
However, Chiles confirmed that Biles was blocked by Skinner on her Instagram story.
“When she blocks Simone,” Chiles wrote on her Instagram story with a picture of Skinner’s profile showing she blocked Biles.
Biles Instagram Post
Biles’ Instagram post came after Skinner, a silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, apologized on Instagram on July 6 for her comments in the now-deleted video.
“Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions,” Biles’ Instagram caption read after winning another gold medal.
People reported that Biles’ Instagram caption was a reference to Skinner’s previous comments, adding that Biles “appears to throw shade” at Skinner’s remarks. Suni Lee, Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera won the gold medal in the team event alongside Biles.
Skinner shared a photo of the women’s gymnastics team to her Instagram Story on July 30 with red heart emoji.
Skinner’s Comments
“Besides Simone [Biles], I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner said in the deleted YouTube video.
The video was saved and reposted on X on July 3.
“I just noticed like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic . . . and it’s hard too because of SafeSport. Coaches can’t get on athletes. 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,” she said.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to prevent “sexual, physical and emotional abuse” within the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics.
Skinner has formally apologized since the comments. However, Biles did not forget her remarks.
“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,” she wrote in her apology post. “It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work. Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you.”
Biles Olympic Greatness
The women’s gymnastics gold medal in the team event was the fourth time they have achieved the feat. Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympics gymnast as a result.
Her 14.666 score as the final gymnast in the final event of the night sealed the gold medal for the Americans.
Biles now has five gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals. She made her Olympic debut in 2016. She earned four gold medals in Rio. Biles earned gold in floor exercise, horse vault, individual all-around and team all-around while also earning a bronze medal in balance beam.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she earned a silver medal in the women’s team. She also earned a bronze medal in the women’s balance beam. However, her 2020 Olympics were headlined by her withdrawal from multiple events.
“As she entered the 2020 Tokyo Games, expectations reached a crescendo. Simone Biles added two more medals to her Olympic tally, making it a remarkable seven. However, she made headlines by withdrawing from most events, citing mental health concerns. Her struggles with the “twisties,” a disorienting mental block during aerial manoeuvres, were laid bare,” according to Olympics.com.