The debate around transgender athletes in sports has once again sparked a fiery online clash—this time between two prominent figures, Riley Gaines and Simone Biles.
Just two days after Biles launched a strong critique against Gaines, the former swimmer didn’t hold back in responding, reigniting their social media feud with fresh intensity.
Simone Biles Fires Back After Gaines Criticizes Trans Inclusion in High School Sports
It all began when Riley Gaines, who’s become well-known for her conservative views on sports and gender, criticized a Minnesota high school softball team for allowing a transgender player to compete.
That player, Marissa Rothenberger, is biologically male but competes as female, stirring up controversy.
Gaines called out the team on social media, bluntly stating her disapproval.
Simone Biles, the celebrated Olympic gymnast, responded sharply to Gaines’ comments.
She didn’t just challenge Gaines’ opinions — she also took a jab at her personally, comparing Gaines to a man.
Biles’ tweets accused Gaines of bullying and urged her to support the transgender community or push for a separate category for transgender athletes.
Her words quickly ignited a heated exchange between the two women.
Gaines Strikes Back With Old Tweets to Challenge Biles’ Credibility
Riley Gaines didn’t back down. Instead, she dug into Biles’ social media history and found a tweet from 2017 that seemed to contradict the gymnast’s current stance on gender issues.
The tweet joked about how men competing against women would take all the gold medals.
Gaines reshared the old tweet and questioned how Biles could reconcile her past views with her present arguments.
She called out what she described as hypocrisy, accusing Biles of being a “truly sick bully” by her own standards from back then.
Political Activism and Support from Donald Trump
Gaines has made a name for herself beyond the pool as a political commentator and activist, especially on conservative platforms like OutKick and Fox News.
Her stance on “keeping men out of women’s sports” even earned praise from former President Donald Trump, who hosted her at the White House before signing an executive order on the issue earlier this year.
The Minnesota High School Softball Controversy Sparks National Debate
The Minnesota team Gaines criticized, Champlin Park, recently won the state high school championship with transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger on their roster.
Rothenberger’s gender transition included a legal change of birth certificate and name, which only intensified the national debate on transgender inclusion in sports.
Biles and Gaines Clash Over Sports, Identity, and Personal Attacks
The exchange between Gaines and Biles quickly grew personal.
Biles accused Gaines of being a sore loser who lost a race and instead of supporting inclusivity, chooses to bully transgender athletes. She even suggested the creation of a transgender category in all sports as a possible solution.
Gaines re
sponded firmly, rejecting the idea that women should figure out how to include men in women’s sports.
She called Biles a “male-apologist” and sarcastically suggested the gymnast try competing in men’s events like the pommel horse or rings in the next Olympics.
Gaines Brings Up Biles’ Past Trauma in Their Argument
Taking the argument even further, Gaines referenced the horrifying sexual abuse Biles and many other gymnasts endured at the hands of the disgraced former team doctor Larry Nassar.
Gaines contrasted Biles’ fight against abuse by a predatory man with what she saw as Biles’ acceptance of men competing in women’s sports — a stance Gaines finds contradictory.
She shared clips of Biles’ testimony about the abuse alongside Biles’ tweets about transgender athletes, highlighting what she perceives as a double standard.
Larry Nassar’s Abuse Casts a Long Shadow Over USA Gymnastics
The Nassar scandal remains one of the darkest chapters in American sports.
Nassar was convicted of sexually abusing dozens of young gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in both federal and state courts.
Biles went public with her story in 2018 and has since become a vocal advocate for survivors, opening up about the trauma and its lasting impact on her mental health.
The Debate Over Transgender Athletes Continues Across America
This clash between Gaines and Biles is just one chapter in the broader, ongoing debate over transgender participation in sports—an issue that is stirring passionate responses across the U.S.
The controversy around Rothenberger’s participation in Minnesota’s championship team has put a spotlight on the complexities and challenges involved.
The conversation shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon as athletes, politicians, and activists continue to grapple with how to balance fairness, inclusion, and safety in sports.