“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. Obviously, a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.” To say this as a former gymnast who’s been in the shoes of members of Team USA, MyKayla Skinner may have taken a bigger bite than she can chew. As the chaos in the aftermath ensues, Joscelyn Roberson seems to have given the gymnastics community something else to think about, something nice.

On July 3, Team USA announced that the Arkansas Razorbacks star would be the traveling alternate for the gymnastics squad for the Paris Olympics. While it was primarily because of her remarkable performance at the Target Center last month, there’s no denying it was also because of Roberson’s heart and genuine love for what she does. The 2023 World Championships team gold medalist proved this by her comments following the announcement.

In an interview with Olympics.com, Roberson revealed how she has come to terms with the fact she might not get the chance to ultimately compete in Paris despite being placed sixth overall at the US Olympic Team Trials. “I wanted to really embrace whatever role I was put in. Being put in an alternate spot is hard, but I don’t want people to look at me and be like, ‘Oh, she was so close.’ I want them to look at me like, ‘She’s going to be their biggest supporter, she’s going to be ready if they need her, and she’s going to be screaming from the rooftops.’” Let’s compare these comments with what MyKayla Skinner said.

Taking a sly dig at Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee, the former gymnast said, “It’s just some of the other girls that fell twice, and still ending up in second place in the all-around is just kind of crazy to me.” While Skinner may have issued an apology subsequently, explaining how she wasn’t necessarily talking about ‘this Team USA squad,’ it was quite clear that she was referring to their falls on the balance beam. She may have also said, “I love those girls, and I’m seriously so happy for them, so I would never do anything to make them feel otherwise,” but it didn’t come close to the heart Joscelyn Roberson showed.

At the World Championships in Antwerp last year, Roberson injured her ankle, which led to Leanne Wong replacing her in the floor and vault lineups. Reflecting on that incident and looking forward to her role in Paris, the 18-year-old said, “I have to be ready. I have to be ready to go in at any point and support them and make sure I’m physically okay and mentally ready to compete, even if they’re all looking seemingly perfect, happy, healthy.” If she doesn’t get a chance, at least we know she’ll be the team’s biggest cheerleader.

That said, the selection committee chose the top five all-around finishers for the Olympic team, so Roberson missed out by just one place. While that hurts, as the 18-year-old admitted, she has a lot of positives to take from her two-day performance at Target Center.

Placing sixth in the all-around competition with a score of 110.975, she achieved this feat by beating her career-best score twice in 48 hours. Not to mention, she also had the joint-highest score on the balance beam. Joscelyn Roberson had never scored more than 55.000 in the all-around competition, but on the first night, she crossed that benchmark with a 55.475. And on the second night, she improved it further, with a 55.500. As she brought the house down with a compelling floor exercise in the fourth rotation, you could see her emotions and just how she felt being there.

As Target Center and every viewer watched Joscelyn Roberson do what she loves, the news about her becoming the traveling alternate was a welcome change following the controversies surrounding MyKayla Skinner in the past few days. It’s safe to say fans couldn’t help but hail the 18-year-old’s mentality going into the Olympic Games.

The gymnastics community rallies behind Joscelyn Roberson’s “right attitude”

Naturally, with Skinner’s comments making quite the ripple, Joscelyn’s statement came as a breath of fresh air, and fans couldn’t stop commending her attitude. “This is so sweet,” read the caption of a fan’s post who admired the future Razorback star.

“What an icon,” another congratulated Roberson for the announcement. Joscelyn bagged multiple gold medals at the 2023 Pan American Championships but didn’t have the best start to this season. After forgettable performances at the American Classic and US Classic, she bounced back at the US Championships to secure 10th place and sealed her spot in the Trials. And now, she’s on her way to Paris, ready to be there for her team.

Fans are convinced that Joscelyn just showed the world what being a talented athlete really means. Being a sportsperson isn’t just about talent and skill. It’s also about how they are off the mat. And after Skinner’s comments, Roberson’s thoughts about her role made a fan write, “@Josc_Roberson is a CLASS ACT.” Considering MyKayla boasts a stacked resume, her remarks about her colleagues weren’t warranted, and many lashed back at the Olympic silver medalist for her distasteful words.

On the other hand, Roberson’s acceptance of the USAG’s verdict shows that she belongs to an elite class of athletes in her own right. “She has the right attitude.” Many think Joscelyn should be protected at all costs. Her optimistic approach to the collective decision made a fan comment, “She’s so precious,” and who wouldn’t think that?

With a total of 110.975, Roberson’s score at the Team Trials wasn’t poor by any means. However, considering her competition, her injuries were sure to be a factor. And yet, Roberson rose above the challenge with a smile on her face. As she heads to Paris, she also has her NCAA career to look forward to.

The Razorbacks program has produced some of the best gymnasts for Team USA over the years. Rightfully, a fan believes Joscelyn can go on to become a precious asset for Arkansas in the coming years. “She really couldn’t have picked a better school to go to, like she’s gonna be such a great leader for them.”

What did you think of how Joscelyn Roberson handled the news about being a traveling alternate at the Paris Olympics? Tell us in the comments!