"I love these girls"- MyKayla Skinner claims being 'misunderstood' over her views of US Gymnastics Team for Paris Olympics 2024

Former American artistic gymnast MyKayla Skinner cleared the air following her remarks on the current U.S. gymnastics roster for the Paris Olympics, stating that except for Simone Biles, the squad lacks 'talent and depth'. She has issued an apology to the team, saying her comments were misinterpreted.

MyKayla Skinner herself is a well-established figure in the US gymnastics domain, having clinched a silver medal in vault at the Tokyo Olympics and world championship gold in the team event. She was selected as an alternate on the team for the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021 and got a chance to compete after Simone Biles withdrew from multiple events, including the vault.

Skinner took retirement from gymnastics in August 2021, but she still follows the sport closely and shares her opinions. But her recent statements about the American team during the Olympic trials watch party on her YouTube channel have drawn scrutiny from fans and pundits.

The 27-year-old stated in the YouTube video that was deleted after fans started to question her intentions:

"Besides Simone, I feel like that the talent and the depth just isn't what it used to be..."

Skinner has now clarified her motive behind the statement and apologized to the fans and gymnasts selected for the Paris Olympics. She posted a video on her Instagram story, saying:

"A lot of you guys have misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said. 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.

"I love these girls, and I'm seriously so happy for them, so I would never do anything to make them feel otherwise, so sorry if that came out wrong; that was not my intentions at all."

MyKayla Skinner's Instagram Story

---

Simone Biles shares a cryptic message after MyKayla Skinner's jab at her teammates

Olympics - Previews - Day -1 (Source: GETTY)

MyKayla Skinner's comments have gone viral ever since she posted the video on the video streaming platform. Not only fans and sports enthusiasts, but Simone Biles also shared her take on the incident through a cryptic message.

Seven-time Olympic medalist Biles, posted a message on her Threads account on Thursday and wrote:

"Not everyone needs a mic and a platform."

Post by @simonebiles

View on Threads

However, it remains unclear if Simone Biles was calling out MyKayla Skinner through the above message, leaving fans guessing.