Simone Biles has taken aim at former USA team-mate MyKala Skinner after winning gold at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
Biles has added to her haul after previously winning her first Olympic gold medals at the games in Rio in 2016.
Skinner had, prior to the Paris games, taken aim at the current generation of gymnasts – saying they lacked the ‘work ethic’ from past teams.
In a YouTube video that has since been deleted, she said: “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be.”
Simone Biles was delighted after winning gold for Team USA at the Paris Olympics
REUTERS
She also said the girls ‘just don’t have the work ethic [that gymnasts of her time once did]’.
But Biles has now taken aim at her compatriot in a post on Instagram.
“Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions,” she wrote while sharing a picture of herself celebrating with team-mates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera.
Biles and Skinner have history after the latter took her place in the vault final at Tokyo 2020.
Biles had been forced to withdraw after suffering from the ‘twisties’, with Skinner going on to win silver.
Speaking after her win on Tuesday, the gymnastics star admitted she was delighted after helping Team USA add to their haul of golds so far.
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“We’re super excited,” she said.
“We’re honoured to represent the US every time we get on a world stage, but accomplishing that gold and that goal was just an amazing feeling.
“I think we all had something to prove from Tokyo (2020 Olympic Games) and tonight we did just that.“It means the world.
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“This was our goal going in, even though we didn’t share it with everybody because it’s just a personal thing that we were working on.
“But I think for everybody it’s what we came here to do. And we’re super excited to walk away with that gold medal.”
Biles also revealed she didn’t suffer any ‘flashbacks’ from Tokyo as she performed in France.
Simone Biles poses with her gold medal after winning at the Paris Olympics
REUTERS
“After I finished vault I was relieved – I was like ‘woo, there’s no flashbacks’,” she said.
“I did feel a lot of relief and as soon as I landed I knew that we were going to do this.”