Simone Biles, the 27-year-old gold medal winner, recently shared a video and a selfie on her Instagram Story, responding to critics with a powerful statement. She revealed the challenging conditions the team had to endure while traveling to the event, defending the state of her hair amidst the discomfort they faced due to lack of air conditioning on a 45-minute bus ride in high temperatures.

In a subsequent slide, Simone further addressed unsolicited comments about her hair, making it clear that such remarks were unwelcome, particularly when directed at Black women. The team’s hard work paid off, as they clinched the gold in the team event, marking a historic achievement for Simone, who now holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals won by an American gymnast.

The team’s victory was underscored by Simone’s impressive floor routine, leading them to triumph over Italy by a significant six-point margin. Following the win, an overwhelming wave of support poured in for Simone and Team USA, with MyKayla Skinner previously acknowledging the team’s dedication.

In a celebratory Instagram post, Simone cleverly played on MyKayla’s words, touting their Olympic champion status despite earlier perceptions of them as lacking talent or being lazy.