MyKayla Skinner’s husband comes to her defence in the hope that Simone Biles will call for attacks to stop…Read more

he husband of former US athlete MyKayla Skinner has leapt to her defence as the fallout from her comments over the country’s gymnastics team prior to the Olympic Games continue to cause a stir.

Skinner, ahead of the games, had expressed doubts about the gymnastics team’s dedication and readiness in a now-deleted YouTube video.

Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner said.

“The girls just don’t have the work ethic and it’s hard too because of SafeSport. Like, coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say.

“Which, in some ways, is really good. But at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be, I feel like, a little aggressive and a little intense.”

Since then, the team went on to win multiple medals, and Skinner retracted her comments. But that didn’t stop Simone Biles from aiming a dig at her after they won gold.

“Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,” was her caption on Instagram after winning gold.

Skinner wants the hate to stop

Skinner has since called for the hate towards her to stop, as fans of Biles appear to be sending an onslaught of derogatory messages to her.

In her Instagram video, Skinner expressed her profound love for her country and emphasized that she does not want to detract from the accomplishments of other athletes. She stated: “I love our country and don’t want to take anything away from our athletes. Let’s use this time to build each other up, not tear others down.”

Now, Skinner’s husband, Jonas Harmer, has rushed to her defence and praised for having the courage to apologise.

“Proud of you for apologizing when you did, staying quiet when you did, and now standing up for yourself,” Harmer said. “You’re the strongest person I know!”