The legendary Simone Biles, an 11-time Olympic medalist revered as one of gymnastics' all-time greats, has unleashed her fury towards a prominent American swimmer. Biles, celebrated not only for her unmatched athletic prowess but also for her outspoken advocacy on critical issues, publicly condemned Riley Gaines.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer turned conservative activist known for campaigning against transgender women's participation in women's sports, recently made disparaging remarks about a specific trans athlete. Biles did not hold back, igniting a firestorm of reactions across social media and beyond.
Simone Biles blasts Gaines as a "sore loser" over trans athlete remarks
The clash ignited on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Gaines responded to a post celebrating a Minnesota high school softball team's state championship victory. The team featured Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender pitcher who played a key role in their win. Gaines commented,
"Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy," directly targeting Rothenberger's identity and participation.
This remark triggered an immediate and forceful response from Simone Biles. The gymnastics icon directly addressed Gaines, labeling her a "straight up sore loser" and stating she was "truly sick." Biles passionately argued Riley Gaines should be uplifting the trans community and working towards inclusivity in sports.
"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 wrote. She vehemently rejected Gaines' approach: "But instead… You bully them…" Biles concluded her post with a powerful and widely quoted condemnation: "One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" In a separate post, Biles added pointedly, "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male."
Gaines fired back, calling Biles' stance "so disappointing" and claiming her own view was "the least controversial take on the planet." She accused Biles of being a "male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams," sarcastically suggesting Simone Biles might compete in traditionally male gymnastics events like pommel horse and rings in the future. Gaines also dismissed any insinuation of body-shaming in Biles' comments.
Riley Gaines' controversial retaliation: Invoking the Nassar trauma
The dispute escalated significantly when Riley Gaines chose to retaliate by invoking one of the most painful chapters in Biles' life, and indeed in sports history. Gaines shared an old video clip featuring Biles delivering powerful, emotional testimony against Larry Nassar.
Nassar, the former team physician for the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Team, is currently serving a 40-175 year prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting several gymnasts, including Biles, Aly Raisman, and Gabby Douglas.
Accompanying the video, Gaines took a direct and deeply personal jab at Biles. Her caption read: "Simone Biles when she had to endure a predatory man Vs Simone Biles when other girls have to endure predatory men."
This attempt to draw a parallel between Nassar's horrific abuse and the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports was widely perceived as a shockingly low blow, weaponizing Biles' own trauma against her in the current debate.
This heated exchange unfolds against a backdrop of intense national controversy surrounding transgender athletes' rights. Recent events, like a transgender athlete winning events at a California state track meet, have prompted legal threats from the Trump administration against states allowing participation based on gender identity and rule changes within sporting bodies.
The clash between Biles, an icon advocating for inclusion and safety, and Riley Gaines, an activist focused on biological sex-based categories, highlights the profound divisions and raw emotions fueling this ongoing societal debate. Gaines' decision to invoke the Nassar case, however, marked a particularly contentious and personal escalation in their confrontation.