Simone Biles criticizes Riley Gaines for women’s sports advocacy

All-American swimmer Riley Gaines has responded after Olympic gymnast Simone Biles took to social media to criticize her advocacy against allowing male trans-identified athletes to compete in women’s sports.

“In just two tweets, Simone Biles basically tarnished her reputation to anyone with a shred of honesty, to anyone with a moral compass and, to anyone with an inherent innate desire to protect women, to fight for equal opportunity for both men and women especially as it pertains to sports,” Gaines said of the squabble in new episode of her “Gaines for Girls” podcast. 

While Gaines acknowledged Biles’ athletic accomplishments, the former NCAA All-American swimmer questioned why women should have to make room for men in spaces intended for females.

“The conclusion I’m drawing based on the response we have seen over the past 12-ish hours at this point on social media, she’s basically incinerated her legacy in just two tweets,” she added.

The debate began after the Olympic gymnastics champion called Gaines “truly sick” in a Friday X post for criticizing a Minnesota high school for allowing a male athlete on a girls’ softball team.

Biles made the comment after Gaines highlighted the Champlin Park Rebels in a Friday X post, which won a state championship last week. Gaines noted that the Minnesota State High School League removed the ability for people to comment on a post announcing the team had won the championship, adding that this is likely because one of the players on the girls’ softball team is a male.

“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles wrote in response to Gaines’ post. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!” 

Biles accused Gaines of bullying trans-identifying athletes, adding, “One thing [is] for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”

In another Friday X post, the gymnast told Gaines to “[B]ully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.” 

In response to Biles, the women’s sports advocate said that the Olympic gymnast’s remarks were “so disappointing.” 

“It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,” Gaines stated in the Olympic athlete’s replies on X. “You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform.”

“Men don’t belong in women’s sports, and I say that with my full chest,” she continued. 

Gaines has emerged most prominent voices advocating against allowing men who identify as female to compete in women’s sports. The swimmer-turned-advocate has publicly shared her story of the time she was forced to race against Lia (Will) Thomas during the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

Thomas competed on the men’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania for three seasons before he started swimming competitively on the women’s team. 

According to a lawsuit Gaines and dozens of female athletes filed against the NCAA last year, the athletic association forced female athletes to compete against and undress in a locker room with Thomas, whose male genitalia was still intact. 

Despite tying with the male athlete for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, Gaines says an NCAA official told her that Thomas needed to hold the trophy for photo purposes.

At the end of her podcast episode, Gaines invited Biles to have a conversation about women’s sports on her podcast or another platform.