Overview

• MyKayla Skinner accused Simone Biles of belittling, dismissing and ostracizing her behind the scenes throughout their shared gymnastics career.
• The allegations surfaced after Biles called swimmer Riley Gaines a “sore loser” over her stance on transgender athletes and later issued a public apology.
• In her apology, Biles acknowledged getting personal with Gaines was wrong and stressed the importance of empathy and respect in debates over competitive equity and inclusivity.
• Skinner publicly supported Gaines’ advocacy for fairness in women’s sports and criticized Biles for using her platform to shame athletes who question transgender participation.
• The feud underscores growing divisions in women’s athletics over how to balance inclusion of transgender competitors with ensuring fair competition.