Olympic swimmer Simone Biles mentioned that a former teammate has ‘blocked’ her following a post about her and her team’s recent gold medal victory.
Biles, along with her teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, clinched the gold medal for Team USA in the group final for gymnastics.
Despite this significant win for the US team, not everyone seems to be celebrating the success.
After their victory, Biles shared a photo on Instagram of the team posing together, with the caption: “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions.”
This caption references remarks made by Biles’ former teammate, MyKayla Skinner, who had criticized the team’s ‘work ethic’.
Skinner had stated: “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be.
“Just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
These comments seem quite outdated following the US team’s win, but Biles has suggested that there’s some tension now.
Taking to Twitter, Biles expressed that her former teammate had blocked her online, tweeting ‘oop I’ve been blocked’ along with a series of emojis.
Many people reacted in the comments, with one person saying: “You’re iconic and who is she?”
Another commented: “The trash usually takes itself out.”
A third person congratulated the team, writing: “Congratulations, Simone and the team. It was wonderful to watch all of you win the Gold.”
MyKayla Skinner has since issued an apology on her Twitter page to Team USA and the gymnastics community.
Skinner wrote: “Dear Team USA and our gymnastics community, 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.
“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.
“Upon reflection I was comparing the ‘Marta Era’ to the current era. I am coming to terms that that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments.
“I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize.”
She added that she wants gymnastics to foster a ‘positive environment for all’, and wished the team ‘all the very best in Paris’.