Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles is speaking out and apologizing after a fiery exchange online with Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer and a vocal opponent of transgender inclusion in women’s sports. Over the weekend, Biles responded sharply to Gaines’s comment on a post celebrating a high school girls’ softball team in Minnesota. The team included a trans girl who helped pitch them to victory. Gaines, in response to the team’s success, wrote: “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
Biles fired back, tweeting,
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. 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!! But instead… You bully them… One thing is for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”
Gaines, who tied for fifth with Lia Thomas — a trans swimmer — in 2022, called Biles’s reaction “disappointing” and mocked her with a tweet suggesting she compete in men’s gymnastics events in 2028.
On Tuesday, Biles offered an apology:
“It didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for…These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.”
Gaines accepted the apology but stood firm. This incident sheds light on the continuing fight for inclusion and dignity in sports.
