Suni Lee takes aim at MyKayla Skinner over 'frustrating' criticism of her and US gymnastics team

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent interview, Olympic gymnast Suni Lee broke her silence on former teammate MyKayla Skinner’s pointed critique of the US women’s gymnastics team, as per People.

The 21-year-old gymnast opened up about Skinner’s comments during a feature for Glamour magazine's 'Women of the Year' issue, where she expressed her frustration at the negative remarks.

Suni Lee hits back at MyKayla Skinner’s pointed critique of US women’s gymnastics team

Suni Lee, who represented the US at the 2024 Paris Olympics, expressed her disappointment over MyKayla Skinner’s comments regarding the team's talent and work ethic.

Skinner, 27, who retired from gymnastics in 2021, made these comments in a now-deleted YouTube video, igniting outrage among the gymnastics community and her former teammates.

Lee, joined by Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, and Simone Biles on Team USA, did not hold back when addressing the situation.

The controversy began when Skinner posted a YouTube video in July, where she questioned the caliber of the US gymnastics team.

While she praised Biles, Skinner criticized the overall talent level and depth of the roster, stating that it wasn’t what it used to be. She also made some scathing comments about the team’s work ethic, saying, "A lot of girls don't work as hard."

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

These remarks immediately sparked controversy, as many felt Skinner was downplaying the hard work and achievements of the younger gymnasts representing the US at the Paris Olympics.

Lee, who has become a celebrated figure in gymnastics since winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, found these comments not only hurtful but also frustrating.

Speaking to Glamour, Lee said, "We have a lot of love for her, but it’s frustrating to see her put us down because she knows, basically, about every single thing that we’ve all been through."

Lee also noted that the criticism resonated with her due to her personal struggles and challenges leading up to the 2024 Olympics.

"It was more annoying because of all the things that I’ve been through," Lee explained.

Simone Biles responded to MyKayla Skinner’s critique with indirect social media post

Simone Biles, a long-time figurehead of US gymnastics, subtly responded to MyKayla Skinner’s comments without mentioning her by name.

In response to the backlash against Skinner’s video, Biles shared a sharp yet indirect message on Instagram Threads, stating, "Not everyone needs a mic and a platform."

This comment, while not explicitly directed at Skinner, was widely interpreted as a clapback against the former gymnast’s critique.

Team USA’s remarkable performance in Paris, where they claimed the gold medal in the team all-around competition, further highlighted how misplaced Skinner’s comments were.

Just hours after Team USA’s victory, Biles seemed to address Skinner’s remarks once more in a celebratory Instagram post. Sharing a series of photos with her teammates, she captioned the post, "Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸."

The caption was a clear reference to Skinner’s comments, and fans and fellow gymnasts alike appreciated the subtle yet powerful statement.

After receiving substantial backlash for her comments, Skinner turned to Instagram Stories to apologize and clarify her statements. She explained that her words had been "misinterpreted" and emphasized that her criticism wasn’t aimed exclusively at the current team.

"It was more about going back into my own gym, just the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Marta [Karolyi] era," Skinner explained in her follow-up.

Skinner ended her apology by expressing her support for the current squad, stating she was "seriously so happy for them" and regretted if her earlier comments had been misunderstood.