Simone Biles yet to respond to MyKayla Skinner's tearful plea but says she doesn't regret her stance

AMERICAN FORK, UTAH: USA gymnast Simone Biles has doubled down on her decision and does not regret criticizing MyKayla Skinner after her current Team USA colleagues' outstanding performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This came after retired gymnast Skinner's urgent request for Biles to assist in stopping the death threats and cyberbullying that are being directed towards her and her family.

Biles, 27, became the most accomplished gymnast in American history when she won three gold medals and a silver medal in the Olympics in Paris, per Daily Mail.

Simone Biles doubled down that she was 'right' to call out MyKayla Skinner

Amid their escalating online feud, decorated gymnast Biles has justified her decision to call out her former teammate Skinner during the Olympics, claiming that her deeds teach her fellow Americans how to speak up for themselves.

Skinner, who withdrew from gymnastics three years ago following her silver medal victory in Tokyo, earlier claimed that the women's squad was becoming "lazy."

Biles seemed to aim at Skinner following the USA's victory in the team. She shared a picture of her squad along with the message, "Lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions," alluding to Skinner's earlier criticism of the team's commitment to the sport.

Speaking to People on Tuesday, August 6, 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."

The day after she finished the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with four more medals, Biles stated that she takes her responsibility as the "team lead" seriously.

The most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history stated, "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," Biles added. Later, Biles revealed that Skinner had blocked her from Instagram.

The interview emerged apparently before Skinner took to social media to claim that she had gotten death threats in response to Biles' comments and begged the gymnast to tell online bullies to stop targeting her.

However, Biles has not yet responded to Skinner facing cyberbullying and getting death threats.

MyKayla Skinner claims to receive tons of 'hateful comments' and 'death threats'

In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday, Skinner claimed that she had received several "hateful comments" and "death threats."

Skinner begged Biles to help in stopping the barrage of remarks that had been directed at her, her husband Jonas Harmer, and their 23-month-old daughter Charlotte Jane, per the New York Post.

"Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly, to please put a stop to this. Please ask your followers to stop, you have been an incredible champion for mental health awareness and a lot of people need your help now," the retired athlete said.

Skinner said she wrote messages to all five gymnasts ahead of the Paris Games and expressed regret on social media for remarks she had made about the squad.

"Only Simone had responded and she told me that she was proud of me," Skinner stated in the video released on Tuesday.

Simone Biles' Paris Olympics experience completely differs from 2020 Tokyo Games

Since the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Biles' entire Olympic experience has, in general, changed drastically.

For Biles, Paris came to an end, and she describes herself as "so much more relieved, so much more at a better spot, mentally and physically, just happy with overall what I've been able to accomplish and what I've done."

Biles further emphasized the value of therapy in putting on this return, as she has done throughout her stay in Paris, after experiencing a round of the crippling "twisties" in Japan.

"Putting in that therapy and that mental work meant everything to me and it was much needed," Biles told People.

"I never thought I'd be on the world stage, again, competing," she added.