Skinner's surprise return comes after she originally failed to qualify for any event finals. Biles had previously shared an Instagram Story that showed her support for Skinner, where she said, “So proud of this one. No one understands the hard work & dedication it takes to come back from collegiate gymnastics & make an Olympic team. You did the damn thing! Thanks for reminding us that grandma's can do it too! Thanks for keeping gym light-hearted and fun! I love you Ms. Olympian @mykaylaskinner2016. P.S. Can't wait for tour.”
However, after Biles had a difficult turn on the vault during the team finals, she decided to step down from the individual all-around, and now the vault and uneven bars final events, in order to focus on her mental health and protect herself from serious injury. “We're going to take it day by day, and we're just gonna see,” Biles told Hoda Kotb.
This isn't the first time the athletes have publicly posted their support and admiration for one another. During qualifiers, Biles posted multiple photos with Skinner, including one where she joked about being the oldest members on the team and said, “Little did you know OG stands for olympic grandma’s ♥ but we ready doe.”