Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles said she was “blocked” in a post on X on July 31. Although she didn’t clarify who blocked her or why, the post came the day after she shared a photo on her Instagram Story of the women’s gymnastics team, with the sarcastic caption, “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions.”
On July 31, Biles wrote on X, “Oop I’ve been blocked 👀🫢😂.”
oop I’ve been blocked 👀🫢😂
She included a series of ring, heart and American flag emoji with the initial Instagram Story and included shocked-face emoji at the bottom. Biles made the Instagram post shortly after the U.S. women’s gymnastics team won a gold medal on July 30 in the Paris Olympics.
Biles’s post came after MyKayla Skinner Harmer, a silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, apologized on Instagram on July 6 for comments she made in a deleted YouTube video criticizing the talent and depth of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team.
People reported that Biles’ Instagram Story comment appears to be a reference to Skinner’s previous comments, adding that Biles “appears to throw shade” at Skinner’s previous remarks. Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera won the gold medal in the team event along with Biles on July 30.
Skinner shared a photo of the women’s gymnastics team to her Instagram Story on July 30 with red heart emoji.
MyKayla Skinner Harmer Said She Believes ‘a Lot of Girls Don’t Work as Hard’
GettySimone Biles of Team USA.
In the now-deleted video, Skinner had criticized the women on the team, with the exception of Biles.
“Besides Simone [Biles], I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner said in the video, which 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 “is an independent nonprofit committed to building a sport community where participants can work and learn together free of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and misconduct,” its website says.
Part 1: The gymnastics community cannot let these comments to be swept under the rug. I will be as respectful as possible to @mykaylaskinner but instead of engaging in meaningful conversation she blocks anyone who holds her accountable for her words.
Skinner, who did not participate in the Paris Olympics, said some girls ended up in second place in previous Olympics despite falling.
MyKayla Skinner Harmer Wrote That She Wanted to ‘Formally Apologize’
Getty(L-R) Jade Carey, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles, Mykayla Skinner and Grace McCallum.
Skinner apologized on July 6 for her comments.
She wrote on Instagram, in a message directed to “Team USA and our gymnastics community,” that she wanted 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. Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you.”
She blamed her comments on her past and referred to former U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi.
“Upon reflection, I was comparing the ‘Marta 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,” she wrote.
“I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize. It is most important to me that the sport I love continue down the path of healing and ensures a positive environment for all. I wish you all the very best in Paris. I will be cheering you all on! Go team USA.”
According to People, Skinner said in a July 3 Instagram Story that “a lot of the stuff” in the YouTube video “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.”
Rachel Denhollander, a former gymnast, wrote on X, “This is precisely why continued education is desperately needed. When an athlete reminisces about one of the most abusive coaches in gymnastics history, suggesting her abusive model was necessary for work ethic, we have a problem.”
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Simone Biles Says She Was ‘Blocked’ in Mysterious Social Media Post