“The girls just don’t have the work ethic.” – MyKayla Skinner’s harsh words bounced off every wall of the internet leading up to the Paris Olympics. Even though the video vanished off the face of the earth shortly after, those words seemed to have left an indelible mark on the gymnastics community. But the U.S. women’s gymnastics team rose like a phoenix from the ashes and claimed what was rightfully theirs on July 30. Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera gave it their all at the Bercy Arena.

Rightfully nicknamed ‘The Golden Girls‘, they stood atop the podium receiving a shiny Olympic hardware as the world watched. After successfully concluding their redemption tour, the most decorated gymnast celebrated their win on Instagram. “Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸,” accompanied by images of the team right after their win. However, Lee’s comment stood out to many fans. “Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you 🖐🏻” It’s true what they say, actions speak louder than words.

At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, Simone Biles and Team USA missed out on an opportunity to clinch the Olympic gold. While Biles stepped away from the teams finals due to a debilitating case of the ‘twisties,’ the rest of them had to settle for a silver instead. However, the Final Five were looking to redeem themselves at the French capital. The G.O.A.T made one thing clear at the Trials last month, “This is definitely our redemption tour. I feel like we all have more to give.” Staying true to her words, that’s exactly what they did.

The stakes were higher than ever at the French capital. But, the Final Five were confident seeing how some of them had done this before. However, they didn’t let the intense pressure this time around. After claiming the gold as their own Suni Lee stated, “We had the most fun I’ve ever had at a meet … It’s super special because we all knew how much we wanted it.” They started the day by being on top of the table, and stayed right there throughout.

The 21-year-old contested on floor, uneven bars. floor, and vault at the Bercy Arena. Her stunning performances on the bars received 14.56 and beam got 14.60, the highest in those apparatuses. However, it was now time for Biles to step onto the mat for the final event – floor exercise. Performing to the iconic beats of Taylor Swift’s ‘…Ready For It?’, she earned a remarkable score of 14.66. Amidst a deafening roar from crowds, Team USA had clinched their first gold in Paris with an overall score of 171.296!

What did MyKayla Skinner say to trigger the gymnastics community

After the U.S. Olympics Trials, MyKayla Skinner posted a rant on the internet about how she didn’t agree with the Final Five making their way to the French capital. “But besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. I mean, obviously, a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.” If that wasn’t shocking enough, she then proceeded to take an indirect dig at Suni Lee as well.

The 21-year-old had faced a fall during her second event. She went on to lose her balance some more during another event. However, she secured the second position by the end of the Trials with 111.675 on the table. With this, she was on her way to the French capital. Skinner seemed to take an issue with this stating, “Some of the girls that fell twice and still ending up in the second place in the all-around, just kind of crazy to me.” Looks like her concerns were all for nothing, seeing how Lee has had a successful run at the Bercy Arena.

However, the 2020 Tokyo vault silver medalist had more to say. “Not saying anything to the girls that got injured, but if I could come back, I think I would be able to do it. And I think I probably could’ve made that Olympic team.” After being on the receiving end of the netizens ire, Skinner promptly apologized for her comments. She even reiterated how many misunderstood what she meant. However, the former gymnast seems to have a different stance now.

In an July 3 interview with Naluda Magazine, she exclaimed, “I think the girls will just keep getting better and better! It will be fun to see new routines and skills come to life.” But it is evident that the internet and Final Five have clearly not forgotten. Biles’ classy comeback and Lee’s jive post their win seems to be all everyone can talk about. Apart from their stunning win, of course. What did you think of their response? Let us know in the comments!