Olympics-Gymnastics-Biles claps back at former teammate after ‘lazy’ accusations
Adds Biles' quote, details
By Karen Braun
PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) -Simone Biles crafted a gold medal-worthy caption after the U.S. 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 U.S. victory.
Biles was referencing colourful commentary made by 2020 U.S. Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner while live video-blogging the U.S. 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."
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 U.S. win in Paris, especially as Biles' team members piled on.
"Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you," U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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".
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 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 apologize."
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.
Editing by Christian Radnedge
Dernières actualités
Avertissement : Les entités de XM Group proposent à notre plateforme de trading en ligne un service d'exécution uniquement, autorisant une personne à consulter et/ou à utiliser le contenu disponible sur ou via le site internet, qui n'a pas pour but de modifier ou d'élargir cette situation. De tels accès et utilisation sont toujours soumis aux : (i) Conditions générales ; (ii) Avertissements sur les risques et (iii) Avertissement complet. Un tel contenu n'est par conséquent fourni que pour information générale. En particulier, sachez que les contenus de notre plateforme de trading en ligne ne sont ni une sollicitation ni une offre de participation à toute transaction sur les marchés financiers. Le trading sur les marchés financiers implique un niveau significatif de risques pour votre capital.
Tout le matériel publié dans notre Centre de trading en ligne est destiné à des fins de formation / d'information uniquement et ne contient pas – et ne doit pas être considéré comme contenant – des conseils et recommandations en matière de finance, de fiscalité des investissements ou de trading, ou un enregistrement de nos prix de trading ou une offre, une sollicitation, une transaction à propos de tout instrument financier ou bien des promotions financières non sollicitées à votre égard.
Tout contenu tiers, de même que le contenu préparé par XM, tels que les opinions, actualités, études, analyses, prix, autres informations ou liens vers des sites tiers contenus sur ce site internet sont fournis "tels quels", comme commentaires généraux sur le marché et ne constituent pas des conseils en investissement. Dans la mesure où tout contenu est considéré comme de la recherche en investissement, vous devez noter et accepter que le contenu n'a pas été conçu ni préparé conformément aux exigences légales visant à promouvoir l'indépendance de la recherche en investissement et, en tant que tel, il serait considéré comme une communication marketing selon les lois et réglementations applicables. Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez lu et compris notre Avis sur la recherche en investissement non indépendante et notre avertissement sur les risques concernant les informations susdites, qui peuvent consultés ici.
