MyKayla Skinner seems to have sent the gymnastics realm into a frenzy. Following her outrageous claims about the athletes participating in the US trials, reactions have kept coming. The latest addition to the list is 42-year-old US gymnastics legend, Dominique Moceanu. Moceanu took to her X account and expressed her heart out about what she felt regarding putting pressure on an athlete. Taking a leaf out of her own life, Moceanu stated that she felt the brunt of intense demands. 

However, as the times are changing, the 42-year-old advocated for a more balanced approach. Her tweet read, “As someone who was directly coached by Bela & Marta Karolyi, who began their coaching careers in the U.S. in 1981, I experienced the intensity & demands of their decades-long influence firsthand. Their methods led to successes on the competition floor but often at the cost of athletes’ mental & physical health. As we transition from the Karolyi era to prioritizing well-being over medals, especially during this time of reflection on our country’s independence, we must proceed with care. This shift is essential.” 

Moceanu further mentioned that coaches must strive towards safeguarding an athlete’s physical and mental well-being first. They can then use measured techniques via which, the competitive spirits can be stimulated for better results. Well, this is quite in contrast to what MyKayla Skinner had opined recently. Appearing in a now private YouTube video, Skinner mentioned how she was unhappy with the athletes who participated and qualified for the Paris Olympics. 

MyKayla Skinner advocates for ‘aggressive’ coaching

Speaking in the video, Skinner made some outrageous claims. She stated that barring Simone Biles, the US gymnastics department lacked depth and work ethics. The Tokyo silver medalist then went on to say that the introduction of SafeSport norms was acting as a barrier for the coaches. Skinner further advocated for aggression from the coaches. She opined that controlled aggression would help in bringing the best out of the athletes. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. 

Continuing her video, Skinner then questioned how easily talents like Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, and Shilese Jones were ruled out due to injury. Going a step further, the 27-year-old also mocked Suni Les for getting the second position despite falling twice. Well, these words coming from Skinner surely did not please the gymnastics community. They immediately went up in protest where Simone Biles herself took a sly dig. 

Posting on her Threads, Biles stated, “Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” Incidentally, Skinner, along with her husband, is part of a podcast named ‘Agree to Disagree.’ Following the series of reactions, Jordan Chiles’ mother also tweeted in amusement as to how Skinner could make such shocking statements. And while Skinner has already come up with a public apology, the fire does not seem to cease anytime soon. Thus, with just days left for Paris, it is interesting to see how much of an effect will these controversies have on the gymnasts competing in Paris.