Simone Biles recently voiced her thoughts against MyKayla Skinner’s shocking comments. And now, following a similar path, gymnastics legend Nastia Liukin too, has put forward her opinions on the raging debate. In a recent conversation with USA Today, Liukin was asked about her opinion on MyKayla Skinner’s controversial “don’t have the work ethic” comment.

Liukin contradicted Skinner’s opinion immediately and expressed how she thought that the entire roster was incredibly talented. She also mentioned that making the cut into an Olympic team is not easy. Naturally, each of the gymnasts who grabbed their ticket to Paris has worked immensely hard to get to this level. “No I think these girls are so obviously talented and they have worked so insanely hard to get where they are,” added Nastia Liukin.

Elaborating her thoughts further, Nastia Liukin said, “And I’m so proud to see every single person has their own story and what they have gone through to make this team and so they are also deserving in their own way and the noise will always be there. It’s regardless of where it’s coming from, who it’s coming from.” Liukin further took a dig at the controversial statements of Skinner by referring to her mother’s teachings to turn a blind eye to the comments of the naysayers.

“To be a horse at a horse race and put your blinders on and head down and you have of where or what competition you are or whatever is said or done”, was what Liukin’s mother said to prepare Liukin to deal with the athletic life. Without considering Skinner’s thoughts about the selected Olympians, Liukin expressed her immense pride in the girls representing their country on the global stage. She even went on to declare herself their “proud cheerleader mom”. But what did Skinner actually state that led to an uproar?

For the uninitiated, MyKayla Skinner recently shook the gymnastics world with her comments regarding the US Olympic team for Paris. In a now-deleted video, Skinner went on a rant about how most of the gymnasts, except Simone Biles, lacked proper work ethics. She also criticized the current roster, claiming the athletes lacked depth and did not work hard enough. Shockingly, Skinner pointed out that due to SafeSport norms, coaches could not train athletes aggressively, opining that such tactics were necessary to bring out the best in them. This statement caused a stir in the gymnastics community, prompting responses from personalities like Simone Biles.

MyKayla Skinner criticized by Simone Biles and more

Immediately after the video gained traction, Simone Biles took to her social media and posted on threads. Taking a dig at Skinner, Biles said, “Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.”This comment was a sly dig at Skinner’s ‘Agree to Disagree’ podcast. Soon after, criticism began to follow, with Jordan Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, expressing her shock at Skinner’s public remarks.

Next up was Vanessa Atler, the 1997 US national all-around champion. She uploaded a picture of the entire 2024 Paris gymnastics roster and highlighted the unprecedented depth of this Olympic team. Citing examples like Shilese Jones, Atler noted that despite several athletes withdrawing due to injury, the team still appears formidable. The Olympian also addressed Skinner’s comments regarding work ethics.

Atler stated that gymnasts like Suni Lee making a comeback despite their physical complications speaks volumes about their dedication to the sport. Following the intense debate and discussion, MyKayla Skinner deleted the video and immediately apologized, mentioning that her words were being misinterpreted. Unfortunately, Skinner’s comments had already damaged her reputation, and her apology did not seem to mend it.