Simone Biles calls Riley Gaines a ‘bully' during heated debate over trans rights in sports
Simone Biles
, the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history, used her platform to confront
Riley Gaines
, a former collegiate swimmer known for campaigning against
transgender athletes
in women's sports. The spat erupted after Gaines criticised a Minnesota high school softball team's transgender pitcher following their state championship win. Biles responded sharply on Twitter, calling Gaines 'truly sick' and accusing her of being a 'sore loser' who bullies transgender athletes rather than seeking inclusion. The exchange highlighted the growing clash in sports over
transgender participation
and sparked wider debate about fairness and inclusivity.
The online clash: Simone Biles vs Riley Gaines
On Friday night, Riley Gaines tweeted about
Champlin Park High School
's softball team, claiming their 'star player is a boy.' The team's transgender pitcher,
Marissa Rothenberger
, had just led them to a shutout victory and the state title. Gaines turned off comments on her tweet, but that didn't stop Biles from replying.
'You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,' Biles wrote on Twitter. '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's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!'
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— Simone_Biles (@Simone_Biles)
Biles later added a final jab, 'Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.'
Live Events
— Simone_Biles (@Simone_Biles)
Gaines fired back without hesitation, saying, '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.' She also pushed back against Biles' suggestion of a transgender category and rejected accusations of body-shaming.
— Riley_Gaines_ (@Riley_Gaines_)
The bigger battle over Trans athletes in sport
This clash comes amid a highly charged national debate on transgender participation in women's sports. Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer at Kentucky, rose to prominence after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. She has since become a regular on conservative media, arguing that transgender women have unfair physical advantages that threaten the integrity of female sports.
Biles, meanwhile, has taken a different stance. As a known ally of the LGBTQ community and a vocal supporter of inclusion, she has repeatedly emphasised kindness and fairness. Though she did not outright say transgender athletes should compete alongside cisgender women, she proposed creating separate categories to ensure everyone feels safe and respected.
Studies show that nearly 80% of people support keeping biological males out of girls' and women's sports, but Biles challenges the sports community to find solutions that balance fairness and inclusion.
For many, this is not just about competition but about the real lives behind the headlines. Marissa Rothenberger, the transgender pitcher at the centre of Gaines' criticism, is described by her teammates as 'a great kid and a great teammate.' The team's win was a group effort, yet the focus remained on one player's gender identity.
Gaines' persistent attacks have drawn sharp criticism. They contribute to an environment where transgender athletes face increased risks of bullying, discrimination, and mental health challenges. Biles' defence is a call to empathy, reminding everyone of the human cost behind the controversy.
Simone Biles: A champion on and off the mat
Biles has faced her own battles — from withdrawing in the Tokyo Olympics due to 'the twisties,' a dangerous loss of spatial awareness, to enduring personal attacks on her hair, marriage, and confidence. Despite that, she has remained fearless.
Her rebuke of Gaines was more than a defence of transgender athletes; it was a stand against cruelty and division. 'Most of us could never do what Biles does as a gymnast. But we can do what she does as a human: Be kind. Defend the most marginalised,' a commentator wrote.
In a time of polarisation and harsh rhetoric, Biles' voice stands out — clear, powerful, and compassionate.
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