Charles Esther
USA Olympic champion Simone Biles has delivered a sharp rebuke to Riley Gaines, comparing her to a man after Gaines criticized a Minnesota high school softball team for including a transgender player.
Riley Gaines, 25, a former swimmer turned political commentator for OutKick and Fox, has gained attention for her outspoken stance against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Gaines previously competed against trans athlete Lia Thomas and has been praised by former President Donald Trump, who invited her to the White House before signing the ‘Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports’ executive order in February.
The controversy reignited when Gaines retweeted a photo of Champlin Park, the Minnesota team celebrating their state high school title with transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger on their roster.
Gaines dismissed the achievement sarcastically, writing, “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
This comment sparked a fierce response from Biles, 28, who condemned Gaines’ views and responded with a cutting personal remark.
Biles wrote, “You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.”
She urged Gaines to support the trans community and to find inclusive solutions in sports rather than bullying transgender athletes.
Biles suggested creating a separate transgender category across all sports to ensure fairness and safety for everyone.
In a follow-up tweet, Biles added, “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
Gaines fired back with disappointment, stating, “It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces.”
She asserted that men do not belong in women’s sports and defended her position as “the least controversial take on the planet.”
Gaines also responded to Biles’ body-shaming implication, pointing out her height at 5’5”.
Support for Gaines came from former ESPN reporter Sage Steele, who criticized Biles for attacking a woman advocating for female athletes.
Steele highlighted that Biles had only ever competed against fellow women, while Gaines faced competition and locker room situations involving a man.
The debate intensified after a Trump supporter commented on the biological differences in gymnastics, to which Biles replied with sarcasm questioning their comprehension skills.
Biles has not commented further beyond retweeting her original post calling Gaines “sick.”
The issue of transgender athletes competing in sports has become a hot topic in the US, with the Minnesota team’s championship run bringing national attention.
Marissa Rothenberger, the transgender pitcher on Champlin Park’s team, is biologically male and had her birth certificate legally changed after her ninth birthday.
The ongoing discussion raises complex questions about fairness, inclusion, and the future of sports competition in the context of transgender rights.
