As a longtime fan of gymnastics and both MyKayla Skinner and Simone Biles, I find myself deeply troubled by the recent turn of events between these two exceptional athletes. While I respect everyone’s right to express their opinions, the cyberbullying and hateful rhetoric that has ensued is not only disheartening but also unacceptable.
Kayla Skinner is urging Simon Biles to intervene in the online harassment she’s experienced after her comments about the present U.S. women’s gymnastics team caused controversy.
Previously acclaimed gymnast, now appealed via Instagram on a Tuesday, urging Simone Biles to encourage her online audience to halt harmful comments and menacing gestures amid the rumored dispute between them.
“Skinner expressed his regret that the discussion on this matter might need to be revisited, however, recent events have escalated significantly. It’s one thing to disagree with what I’ve said or my arguments, but when it turns into cyberbullying or worse, it’s a whole different story.”
2020 Tokyo Olympic vault silver medalist Skinner found herself under criticism prior to the 2024 Olympics, stemming from remarks she made regarding certain athletes from her previous team, who have been participating in the Paris Games for the recent past.
“Apart from Simone, I believe the skill level and depth aren’t quite as strong as they once were,” Skinner expressed in a YouTube video last month. “To put it simply, many of them don’t seem to put in the same effort. It appears that their work ethic isn’t as strong.”
In a show of solidarity after our triumphant win, I penned down a response on Instagram that seemed to echo the words of a past athlete. In my post, I subtly referred to their remarks with the caption: “Skill-deficient, lethargic, Olympic champions.”
Skinner mentioned that she privately reached out to every member of the U.S. gymnastics team, but it was only Biles who replied and expressed her pride in Skinner. This is what left Skinner taken aback by the content of Biles’ Instagram post.
“If Simone genuinely thinks I labeled our team as lazy and talentless and she truly feels this way, it genuinely saddens me,” Skinner expressed. “This isn’t just sad because that’s not how I feel or what I’ve said before, but because her recent post and subsequent comments have sparked another round of harmful messages, such as abusive DMs, articles, and emails. These messages contain hate that extends to me, my family, and even my representative, with death threats among them. My loved ones and friends shouldn’t be affected by this situation; they haven’t done anything wrong.”
She ended her video by addressing Simone Biles directly and openly: “Simone, I am earnestly appealing to you and requesting that you intervene. Kindly ask your followers to cease their actions. You have been an inspiring advocate for mental health consciousness, and many people are counting on your assistance now. We’ve faced attacks that I believe were not your intention. The performances, the team’s performance, and the Olympics overall should be a time where we uplift each other.”
View this post on Instagram
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-07 08:26