Olympics 2021 - MyKayla Skinner's gymnastics career ends at Tokyo Olympics with the unlikeliest of silver medals - ESPN

D'Arcy Maine details how MyKayla Skinner almost left the Olympics then was called back to compete in the vault final -- and won the silver medal.

TOKYO -- When MyKayla Skinner walked off the competition floor at the Olympics one week ago, she believed her gymnastics career was over.

Simone Biles had just withdrawn from the team final and was concerned about her ability to compete in the event finals.

Now, one week after her tearful goodbye to the sport, Skinner is an Olympic silver medalist.

"This has seriously been such an honor to be able to step in for Simone and be able to win this medal," Skinner, 24, said Sunday night.

As the four members of the team were thought to be a lock for the gold medal, and Carey, the other individual, had qualified for two event finals, it looked as if Skinner would be the only American woman to go home empty-handed.

But she knew Biles was struggling going into the team final and she wasn't completely surprised to get the text.

Rebeca Andrade, the eventual champion, bumped her out of first place soon after, but Skinner held on for the silver medal.

When the number for Lilia Akhaimova, the final gymnast, was announced, Skinner looked to be in disbelief as she hugged her coach, Lisa Spini -- while Biles jumped up and down from her seat.

As Skinner walked to the podium to collect the Olympic medal she never expected to have, Biles continued to cheer.

"With Simone, we're the OGs ["Olympic Grandmas"] of the team, and to just have her support, and her having to step out of finals, and her just pushing me along every single day to help me to place on that podium has been so cool," Skinner said

With an Olympic medal to her name, Skinner said her gymnastics career is officially over

And now to even be go in for [the] vault [final] and to win a silver medal, that's icing on the cake for me