McKayla Skinner asks Simone Biles for help after Instagram caption goes viral

Simone Biles won three golds and one silver medal in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Biles has cemented her status as one of the best gymnasts of all-time in what could be her last Olympic games. Biles is 27 years old, and while that's still plenty young enough to complete (says the 31-year-old writer), she will be 31 when the next games come around.

Biles struggles with mental health are well-documented, as well as her recovery from the twisties. Prior to the games in Paris, fellow Olympic medalist and former Team USA gymnast McKayla Skinner questioned the current crop's depth aside from Biles.

“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and depth just isn’t what it used to be," Skinner said.

Skinner was merely making an observation prior to the competition in Paris, suggesting that the overall team lacked depth as well. However, Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera won Gold in the end. Biles, having taken note of Skinner's comments, posted on Instagram using her quote as inspiration.

“Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions," Biles wrote on the social media app.

McKayla Skinner calls on Simone Biles for help

Skinner tried to backtrack her comments in July, but by then they had already caught on among the Olympic fanbase, and gymnasts alike.

"I feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said," Skinner said at the time. "A lot of the stuff that I was talking about wasn't always necessarily about the current team, because I love and support all the girls that made it and I'm so proud of them."

Skinner has taken full responsibility for misconstruing what she was apparently trying to say. Because of her comments, she has allegedly been the victim of cyber-bulling, and called upon Biles and fellow gymnasts to, essentially, end the wrongful treatment. She also sent individual apologies to each of the gymnasts, but apparently blocked Biles, which surely isn't helping matters.

Biles hasn't done anything to encourage fans to bully Skinner, however fans of Team USA gymnastics should not take it upon themselves to defend the athletes. It appears Skinner has already taken the steps to make amends individually.

Such is the life of a professional athlete or pundit. Ideally, this all will eventually blow over, as Skinner merely gave her opinion. Biles and Co. proved her wrong, but she is not deserving of such treatment on social media.