Simone Biles has doubled down on her decision to call out MyKayla Skinner after the former gymnast begged her to stop.
Decorated gymnast Biles, 27, said she felt compelled to speak out after Skinner made disparaging remarks about the current US women’s gymnastic team, insinuating they were lazy.
In a now-deleted YouTube video, former Olympic gymnastic Skinner, 27, claimed that besides Biles, the “girls just don't have the work ethic” or “talent”.
When the US team won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the all-around final, Biles shared a photo with the caption: "Lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions," which referenced what Skinner said before the event.
Refusing to back down, Biles said she had enabled her other team mates to know how to stand up for themselves.
Skinner - who won a silver medal on vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - has since taken to social media to beg Biles to stop, claiming that she and her family have been receiving death threats.
Speaking to People, Biles said: "It's important because you have to teach them to use their voices. And if not, you're a voice for the voiceless, which is okay. I just felt like it was right in that moment to stand up for them, because they're so young and they haven't fully stood in their power yet. For somebody to stand up, I know it meant a lot for my teammates."
For her part, Skinner shared a video on Instagram talking about the hate she has been receiving as a result of the very public feud.
She said: "I sincerely hoped that this topic wouldn't have to be revisited, but unfortunately things have really gotten out of hand lately,” Skinner said.
“So, to Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this.
"Why I'm here is because four weeks ago, I made a comment about work ethic and what seems to be taking place with the rising generation. To be totally clear, I take 100 percent for poorly articulating the point I was trying to make. The last thing I wanted was to cause harm or offend our US Olympic Team.
"I know these women are incredible - the very best of the best. And almost all of them are my former teammates, who I have enjoyed very much cheering on the last few years. I posted a video apology on Instagram and I followed up with a written apology and I sent individual messages to each of the women on the team. Only Simone had responded, and she told me that she was proud of me.
"You guys can imagine my surprise last week when I was celebrating our team winning gold, just to see this all brought up all over again by a caption on an Instagram post. If Simone truly believes that I called our team lazy and lacking talent and that's how she really feels, I am really heartbroken over it."
She continued: "'But not just heartbroken because it isn't how I feel… but heartbroken because Simone's latest [social media] post and others that followed it fueled another wave of hateful comments, DMs, articles and emails – hate that includes death threats to me, my family and even my agent.
"My family and my friends don't deserve to be caught in the crossfire here. They've done nothing. So, to Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this. Please ask your followers to stop."
