US gymnast Simone Biles looks at herself in a mirror during the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials. Photo: AFP
Simone Biles crafted a gold medal-worthy caption after the US women dominated the Olympic gymnastics team final in an apparent slam against her former teammate following harsh remarks weeks earlier.
"Lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions," Biles posted on Instagram after the win alongside a photo of her triumphant American teammates, a veteran squad which dubbed themselves the "Golden Girls" following Tuesday's US victory.
Biles was referencing colourful commentary made by 2020 US Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner while live video-blogging the US team trials in June.
"Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't like what it used to be," Skinner, 27, said in the now-deleted video.
"The girls just don't have the work ethic."
Simone Biles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on 27 July 2021. Photo: AFP
Skinner apparently did not take kindly to Biles' hit-back.
"Oop I've been blocked," Biles posted on X on Wednesday around the same time teammate Jordan Chiles posted a story on Instagram showing that Skinner had blocked Biles' account.
Skinner was likely sensing the backlash amid the US win in Paris, especially as Biles' team members piled on.
"Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you," US Olympian Sunisa Lee commented on Biles' post from Tuesday.
Skinner's words back in June immediately drew a landslide of backlash from the gymnastics community and scores of athletes, including former Olympians, swarmed to the ladies' defence.
"Let the stinky turd lie in all its stinkiness," Kathy Johnson Clarke, two-time 1984 US Olympic medallist turned commentator, posted on X, seemingly referencing Skinner's comments.
Skinner, who felt she was unfairly left off the 2016 Rio squad, was selected to represent the US as an individual in Tokyo where she earned a silver medal in the vault, an event from which the heavily-favoured Biles withdrew due to the "twisties".
Jade Carey and Simone Biles at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, 12 October 2019. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
A few days after the damaging video, Skinner tried to smooth things over by suggesting her comments had been misinterpreted. Biles was unimpressed.
"Not everyone needs a mic and a platform," Biles, 27, posted on social media amid Skinner's botched apology, possibly prompting Skinner's longer, written statement a couple of days later.
"It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work," she wrote at the time.
"I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologise."
But Biles and most other Team USA gymnasts had already unfollowed Skinner on Instagram.
Biles will go for her ninth Olympic medal and second of the Paris Games in Thursday's all-around final.
- Reuters
