MyKayla Skinner, a retired gymnast who won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, found herself in a feud with Simone Biles, who along with her Team USA teammates, won gold in the women’s all-around gymnastics final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After the win, Biles posted on social media that she had been blocked by Skinner, prompting teammate Jordan Chiles to share that Biles could not view Skinner’s Instagram account. Biles captioned a celebratory photo with her teammates as “lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions,” in response to Skinner’s previous comments about the team’s work ethic and talent.
Skinner had made comments in a since-deleted YouTube video where she expressed that, aside from Simone Biles, she felt the talent and work ethic of the current gymnasts were not up to par with previous standards. She later retracted her remarks and apologized, posting a photo of the victorious Team USA with three red heart emojis on her Instagram Story. However, Biles’ teammates showed their support by adding comments and reposting the picture to their own social media accounts, further escalating the situation. Retired gymnast McKayla Maroney and Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, also joined in with comments showing support for Biles and Team USA.
The social media banter between Skinner and Biles escalated further when Biles’ teammates joined in on supporting her and teasing Skinner for her previous comments. Jordan Chiles commented beneath a photo posted by Skinner, while Sunisa “Suni” Lee reposted the picture on her Instagram Story with a teasing caption. The atmosphere surrounding the feud became more intense with retired gymnast McKayla Maroney adding her thoughts on the situation, expressing that Skinner had found out the consequences of her actions. Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, also showed his support for Biles and her teammates, adding to the social media drama.
Biles had previously humorously referred to Team USA with the acronym “F.A.A.F.O.” as a nod to their status as the “golden girls” due to being the oldest Olympic team. The social media feud between Skinner and Biles continued with various comments and posts from both sides, creating a buzz among fans and followers. The drama surrounding the feud added an interesting twist to the aftermath of Team USA’s victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, showcasing the dynamics between athletes in the world of gymnastics. Despite the tension between Skinner and Biles, it appears that Biles and her teammates found a way to celebrate their success together while also addressing the comments made by Skinner in a playful manner.
