After an NFL player called Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles’ actions on the podium “disgusting,” Michelle Obama vehemently supported the two.
Biles and Chiles, who placed second and third in the women’s floor final earlier this week, respectively, bowed to Brazil’s champion Rebeca Andrade as she stepped up to accept her gold medal in a photo that has since gone down as one of the most iconic images from the Games.
Marlon Humphrey criticised the American couple’s actions after their photo of themselves serenading Andrade went popular on social media, with many people hailing it as one of the most touching moments of the Games.
The Baltimore Ravens cornerback reshared the photo on social media platform X and called it “disgusting.”
Obama, however, jumped to the American gymnasts’ support. “I’m still not over this lovely moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship!” she wrote on X.
She continued, “You can really feel the love radiating from these ladies.” “Well done, Simone, Jordan, and Rebecca!”
Biles had commented, “It was an all-black podium, which is really thrilling for us,” regarding her choice to serenade Andrade on the stage. Should we give her a bow, Jordan asked. And I replied, without a doubt. It was the proper course of action.
Targeting a US team is not a new occurrence.
After making his remark, Humphey was assaulted on social media. This is not the first time the US team has been insulted in recent months. In the lead-up to Paris, the group’s work ethic came under intense scrutiny after one of their former teammates called them “lazy.”
Mykayla Skinner caused a commotion in June of last year when she attacked the team’s potential and devotion beyond Biles. Skinner, who won a silver in vault in Tokyo after Biles withdrew from the competition due to mental health issues, caused uproar.
After the US Olympic trials this year, in which she was not chosen for the US squad, Skinner made the divisive comments in a YouTube video. Following a significant outcry to her remarks, she formally apologised.
It appears that Biles’s team, which also included Sunisa Lee, Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, took inspiration from Skinner’s remarks for their Olympic run. Biles shared a photo on Instagram with the message “lack of talent, lazy, Olympic winners” following their team gold medal win last week.
After capturing three gold, one silver, and six bronze medals in gymnastics in Paris, the United States lead the medal standings.
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