Simone Biles Shuts Down Critics After Team USA’s Gold Win

Simone Biles had some fun on social media after Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team took home the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In her celebratory post, Biles made a playful jab at her former teammate MyKayla Skinner.

After winning the gold, the 27-year-old star shared a picture with her teammates Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles. She captioned the post with a cheeky, “Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸,” referencing some harsh remarks Skinner made about the current team’s work ethic.

In a now-deleted YouTube video, Skinner had previously critiqued her former teammates, suggesting that “the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” and claimed that many girls don’t work as hard. This caused quite a stir online.

After facing backlash, Skinner tried to soften her previous statements, saying, “It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or take away from their hard work.” She praised the dedication of her former teammates and congratulated them on their success.

With this latest gold medal, Biles has solidified her title as the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history. The team secured their third all-around team gold medal in the last four Olympics, beating out Italy and Brazil.

This win marks a significant improvement for Biles and her teammates, especially considering their disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago. Biles now has five Olympic gold medals in total, plus one silver and two bronze, making her the recipient of the most Olympic medals by any American gymnast.

The 2024 Olympics is Biles’ third Olympics, having also won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She’s gearing up for the upcoming individual all-around finals, where she has the chance to bring home even more medals.

Biles had described the 2024 Olympics as a “redemption tour” for the U.S. women’s team after their silver finish in Tokyo in 2021, and it looks like she’s well on her way to achieving that goal.