Suni Lee Calls Out MyKayla Skinner’s Criticism of Her and the U.S. Gymnastics Team: 'It's Frustrating'
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Skinner questioned the team's "talent" and "work ethic" in a since-deleted video ahead of the Paris Olympics
Andy Cheung/Getty; Laurence Griffiths/Getty Sunisa Lee; Mykayla Skinner
Gold medalist Suni Lee addressed former teammate MyKayla Skinner's negative comments from JulyLee said it was "annoying" and "frustrating" to hear Skinner's criticism of the U.S. women's gymnastics teamIn July, Skinner criticized the "talent" and "work ethic" of the women's gymnastics team Suni Lee is speaking out about former teammate MyKayla Skinner's criticism of the U.S. women's gymnastics team.In a new interview for Glamour's "Women of the Year" issue, Lee, 21, addressed the negative comments made by Skinner, 27 — her former teammate — about the talent and "work ethic" of the U.S. women's gymnastics team that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics: Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera and Simone Biles.In July, Skinner said in a since-deleted YouTube video that "besides Simone," the "talent" and "depth" of the Team USA roster "just isn't like what it used to be." Skinner also questioned the "work ethic" of the team, saying, "Obviously, a lot of girls don't work as hard."Lee told Glamour that the criticism from her former teammate was hurtful and "frustrating" in her first public addressing Skinner's video. "We have a lot of love for her, but it’s frustrating to see her put us down because she knows, basically, about every single thing that we’ve all been through,” Lee told the magazine.“It was more annoying because of all the things that I’ve been through," Lee added.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Suni Lee' title='Suni Lee from Team USA competes in the women's gymnastics at the Bercy Arena during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France on July 28, 2024'>
Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Suni Lee
Related: Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner's Drama Explained: Why the Former Olympic Teammates Are Making Headlines
Skinner faced backlash for her July 3 remarks, both from the gymnastics world and from Biles, who seemingly addressed Skinner's comments on Instagram Threads at the time, writing, “not everyone needs a mic and a platform.”And hours after Team USA won the gold medal in the team all-around competition in Paris, Biles appeared to call out Skinner's criticism in her celebratory Instagram caption.Over a carousel of photos of her with Chiles, Lee, Carey and Rivera after their win, Biles wrote, "lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸," Biles wrote, seemingly referencing Skinner’s remarks.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Skinner — who retired from the sport in 2021 and has since welcomed a daughter with her husband Jonas Harmer — apologized in a follow-up video on her Instagram Stories. The former gymnast said her remarks were "misinterpreted" and that "a lot" of her initial criticism "wasn't always necessarily about the current team."
Jamie Squire/Getty MyKayla Skinner, Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Jade Carey of Team United States pose for a picture during Women's Podium Training ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 22, 2021' title='MyKayla Skinner, Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Jade Carey of Team United States pose for a picture during Women's Podium Training ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 22, 2021'>
Jamie Squire/Getty MyKayla Skinner, Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Jade Carey of Team United States pose for a picture during Women's Podium Training ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 22, 2021
"It was more about going back into my own gym, just the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Márta [Károlyi] era,” Skinner explained in her follow-up. “And I'm not sticking up for Márta or saying what she did was good, I'm just saying it was different."
Related: Simone Biles Appears to Throw Shade at MyKayla Skinner's 'Work Ethic' Remarks After Team USA's Olympic Gold
She concluded the video by apologizing to the current squad and sharing that she was “seriously so happy for them” and was “so sorry if that came out wrong.”Skinner also issued a statement to PEOPLE in July following the backlash, saying, "It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work. Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you.""Upon reflection I was comparing the 'Márta Era' to the current era," Skinner's statement continued. "I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Márta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments. I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People.
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