Riley Gaines and Simone Biles Beef Online Amid Trans Athlete Debate

Newsweek

4 hours ago

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Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and former collegiate swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines have exchanged barbs on social media amid a debate over transgender athletes in sports.
Newsweek reached out to press representatives for Biles and Gaines via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
A national debate about transgender athletes escalated during the 2024 presidential election cycle, as President Donald Trump pledged to minimize transgender athletes' participation in sports that don't match their biological sex. One of his first executive orders mandated that the government only recognize the existence of two sexes—male and female—which he said are "not changeable."
Biles, 28, is the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, with 11 medals, including seven gold. She has also earned dozens of world championship medals and complex gymnastic moves have been named after her. She is a prominent voice in both sports and mental health.
Gaines, 25, a former collegiate swimmer for the University of Kentucky, has been outspoken in her opposition to transgender policies in sports and is the host of the Gaines for Girls podcast.
What To Know
On Friday, Riley Gaines reposted a message from the Minnesota State High School League on X, formerly Twitter, of the Champlin Park High School's championship win, writing "comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy."
Her comment follows reports that Marissa Rothenberger, a 17-year-old member of the team, is transgender.
Newsweek has reached out to the school for comment via email on Saturday.
Biles reshared Gaines' post, calling her "truly sick."
@Riley_Gaines_ 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... https://t.co/pjpzuZ0AlO — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025
The post continued: "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 things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!"
In 2022, Gaines tied for fifth place in a competition with swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete during a collegiate competition.
In another post Biles said to Gaines "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male."
Gaines wrote in response: "This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. 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."
(L): Simone Biles, of the United States, holds up her medals after the women's artistic gymnastics individual apparatus finals Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (R):Former collegiate...
(L): Simone Biles, of the United States, holds up her medals after the women's artistic gymnastics individual apparatus finals Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (R):Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines stands following a news conference after the House passed a measure that would ban transgender women and girls from school sports programs aimed at female students on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington. More
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel/Mark Schiefelbein
In a separate post she added, "My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams? Didn't have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028."
In a third post, Gaines wrote, "And the subtle hint at "body-shaming" ???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5."
Early into Saturday, Gaines began posting about Biles and the sexual abuse of former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison in 2017 over child pornography charges, and in 2018 plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.
Gaines shared a clip of Biles testifying about Nassar's actions next to her X post to Gaines, with the caption: "Simone Biles when she had to endure a predatory man Vs Simone Biles when other girls have to endure predatory men."
Gaines has continued to share various generated images jabbing at Biles.
What People Are Saying
Alex Cole, an influencer on X with over 300,000 followers, wrote on X: "Simone Biles has 11 Olympic medals. Riley Gaines has 11 Fox News appearances complaining about people who actually win medals."
Payton McNabb, former high school volleyball player and sports ambassador at Independent Women, told Newsweek in an email Saturday: "Female athletes train hard, sacrifice, and compete with heart. They deserve a level playing field, not a rigged system that favors male strength and biology."
Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said in an X post: "Simone Biles is the GOAT. Riley Gaines is the poster child for turning failure into grift. And that's that on that."
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this week: "A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so. As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!"
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Newsweek on Tuesday: "President Trump is protecting women in sports and restoring common sense. Those who choose to violate federal law will be held accountable."
What Happens Next
The Trump administration has launched multiple investigations into whether sports governing bodies and educational institutions have violated federal antidiscrimination laws, particularly under Title IX.