MyKayla Skinner Claims Simone Biles ‘Belittled’ Her amid Riley Gaines Criticism

Gymnast MyKayla Skinner is talking out in opposition to her former Olympic teammate Simone Biles whereas sharing her help for Riley Gaines, following Biles’ criticisms of Gaines for her anti-trans remarks.

On Saturday, June 14, Skinner, 28, mentioned in a public assertion shared through One America Information that 11-time Olympic medalist Biles, 28, “belittled, dismissed and ostracized” her.

Each ladies competed within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Skinner, a silver medalist, was an alternate within the 2016 Rio Olympics, the place Biles gained her first medal.

“As an athlete who has devoted years to a sport, I’ve all the time believed that true competitors ought to elevate us — not diminish others. That’s why it’s deeply troubling to see Simone Biles publicly label a fellow feminine athlete a ‘sore loser’ — merely for expressing legitimate issues about equity in ladies’s sports activities,” Skinner mentioned in her assertion, referring to Biles’ recent critical comments about Gaines, a conservative activist and former swimmer who has criticized transgender athletes in sports activities.

“I commend and respect Riley Gaines for having the braveness to talk up,” Skinner continued partly. “All through my very own profession, I endured being belittled, dismissed and ostracized behind the scenes by Simone.”

Skinner added that “the stress to remain silent was immense” and that she “stored quiet out of respect” for her fellow teammates and the game at massive, though she didn’t share any particular particulars about her allegations in opposition to Biles.

A consultant for Biles didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for remark.

“It’s one factor to disagree. It is one other to make use of your platform to bully and demean,” Skinner concluded her assertion. “We must be lifting one another up — not tearing each other down for talking arduous truths.”

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Biles first spoke out in opposition to Gaines when she commented on a post from the Minnesota State Excessive College League of gamers posing with their first softball state championship plaque.

Gaines wrote, “Feedback off lol. To be anticipated when your star participant is a boy,” referring to Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender pitcher for the group.

Biles quoted the X submit and wrote, “You are really sick, all of this campaigning since you misplaced a race. Straight up sore loser. Try to be uplifting the trans neighborhood and maybe discovering a technique to make sports activities inclusive OR creating a brand new avenue the place trans really feel secure in sports activities. Possibly a transgender class IN ALL sports activities!! However as a substitute… You bully them… One factor’s for positive is nobody in sports activities is secure with you round!!!!!”

Biles later posted a prolonged message on X on Tuesday, June 10, telling her followers she needed to “comply with up” on her final posts about Gaines and apologize.

“I’ve all the time believed aggressive fairness & inclusivity are each important in sport,” she wrote. “The present system doesn’t adequately steadiness these essential ideas, which frequently results in frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t assist for me to get private with Riley, which I apologize for.”

Biles and Skinner have additionally butted heads previously, after Skinner, in a since-deleted YouTube video, criticized the U.S. women’s gymnastics team heading to the 2024 Paris video games, minus Biles.

“In addition to Simone, I really feel just like the expertise and the depth simply is not like what it was,” the 2020 Olympic vault silver medalist mentioned within the video. “Simply discover like, I imply, clearly loads of women do not work as arduous. The ladies simply do not have the work ethic.”

After winning the team all-around gold medal on July 30, Biles seemingly responded to Skinner’s comments on Instagram Threads, writing, “Not everybody wants a mic and a platform.”

In an announcement later shared with PEOPLE by a consultant, Skinner apologized, saying partly, “I wish to formally apologize to Group USA and to our gymnastics neighborhood for my feedback throughout my current YouTube episodes of the gymnastics Olympic trials.”

Gaines and Biles’ preliminary change was sparked by the continuing efforts of the Trump administration to push again in opposition to states, together with California, that are allowing transgender athletes to take part in sports activities that align with their gender id.

After 16-year-old transgender athlete AB Hernandez gained each the highschool women’ excessive soar and triple soar at a California state observe meet earlier this month, the Trump administration threatened California with fines and authorized motion, in keeping with CBS News.

Hernandez’s success additionally prompted California’s Interscholastic Federation to vary its guidelines to permit extra “organic feminine student-athletes” to take part in the identical occasions that trans-athletes are additionally taking part in, in keeping with The Associated Press.