Latest news with #GainesforGirls
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Riley Gaines silences critics after completing daring 1.25-mile Alcatraz swim while pregnant
Riley Gaines swam from the infamous Alcatraz prison to shore just as she did last year, but this time, she did so 31 weeks pregnant. That detail led many to bash Gaines on social media, but she had time on OutKick's "Gaines for Girls" podcast to fire right back. Gaines did the roughly 1.25-mile swim alongside U.S. Navy SEALs and combat veterans, as well as her husband, after getting clearance from her OBGYN. She posted to social media a picture of herself after the swim, and quickly received vitriol. She said the act "broke the minds of liberals." Then, Gaines read aloud a few comments and gave her take on each. "'I guess putting your baby at a risk for click was a decision,'" Gaines read aloud. "I wonder where he got his doctorate. I didn't know Twitter had so many OBGYNs or doctors who suddenly know more about pregnancy and exercising while pregnant than my OB did, who cleared me to do this." Another X user wrote: "Maybe not the best time to swim in the ocean then lol but what do I know." "Nothing," Gaines retorted. "You know nothing, at least about pregnancy and exercising while pregnant." Gaines read another comment, which asked why she would think about doing this while pregnant. "I think I feel so great, and I have the entire time, because I have done things like this regularly, whether being pregnant or not being pregnant," Gaines said. Finally, Gaines read her favorite reply. "I love this one. This guy says – this is pretty amazing. He says, 'Imagine the torturous, horrific conditions for the fetus. Breathing, muscles squeezing, adrenaline overdosing, massive pressure on the cervix, womb, sack, and fetus. Then, the sloshing and incredibly loud noises. Quite the sadistic torture. Hope the fetus survives the mother's idiocy to be born, healthy. Poor baby…' "First of all, my developing child in the womb is not a fetus, at this point. If she were to be born, obviously not ideal to be born nine weeks early and no one is to say for certain what will happen. But viability is 24-ish weeks." Alcatraz was opened in 1934, but it didn't even last three decades before closing. Located on an island off the shore in the San Francisco Bay, it was categorized as practically escape-proof, though 14 documented attempts were made. Among them were the Anglin brothers, John and Clarence, as well as Frank Morris, who tried to escape on June 11, 1962. It was later turned into a movie, "Escape from Alcatraz," as it remains a mystery to this day whether they reached shore and survived, or drowned, as the FBI concluded due to harsh conditions. Gaines hosts the "Gaines for Girls" podcast on OutKick, where she discusses what has occurred with transgender individuals participating in girls' and women's sports.
New York Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Simone Biles hints at Riley Gaines transgender feud in ESPYs award speech
Simone Biles winked at some controversy at the ESPY Awards. Weeks after a high-profile gender-based feud with Riley Gaines, the gymnast took home the award for Best Championship Performance for her 2024 Olympics all-around gold medal on Wednesday night — and her speech caused a stir. 'That was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men. So thank you guys so much,' she said with a laugh. 3 Simone Biles speaks while accepting an award at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. AP The joke drew laughs from the Dolby Theatre crowd in Los Angeles. It came after social media sparring with Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer and current OutKick contributor, in a heated debate over transgender athletes. Biles beat out Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, golfer Rory McIlroy and Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry for the award. 'I'm honored to receive this award,' she said. 'The recognition means more than you guys know. I would like to thank the people who have stood with me on this journey — my teammates, my competitors, my coaches, family and fans who have lifted me up every step of the way. I wouldn't be standing here without all of you.' 3 Riley Gaines, activist and host of Gaines for Girls podcast and author of Swimming Against the Current, speaking at an event hosted by Turning Point USA at the University of Maryland. 3 Simone Biles, right, kisses Jonathan Owens while accepting an award at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre. AP She added she will 'proudly share this award with my team of supporters.' 'Having a strong support system that understands your dreams, who are willing to show up for you, not just when you're winning, but when you're struggling, too, is really important,' Biles said. 'My sincere gratitude, appreciation and love to all of you who have stood with me on this magical journey, all the highs, lows, twists and turns along the way.' Biles, who wore a custom Athleta dress and packed on the PDA with her NFLer husband Jonathan Owens, also acknowledged the victims of the Texas floods, which left an estimated 132 people dead and another 160 missing earlier this month. 'Before I get into it, I first want to offer my sincere condolences to all those impacted by the devastating flash flooding on July 4th in Central Texas,' the Texas native said to open her speech. 'Words can't replace the pain, but our hearts are with you in this tragic time.'
Fox News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
The Quiz #458 - It's In The Hole
In golf, what is an eagle? Take The Quiz: Sports Edition. Play. Share. Listen with the Host of the Gaines for Girls podcast and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines.
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Riley Gaines clashes with Keith Olbermann after UPenn strips Lia Thomas of program records
Riley Gaines and Keith Olbermann were at it again on social media this week after the ex-ESPN host took aim at the former University of Kentucky swimmer following the resolution agreement between the University of Pennsylvania and the Education Department that resulted in the school stripping program records previously held by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Olbermann posted a message on X on Tuesday calling Gaines "whiny" in response to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announcement that it had reached an agreement with UPenn following its investigation into Title IX violations that centered on Thomas' participation on the women's swimming team during the 2021-22 season. "Wanted to congratulate Whiny Gaines on now being able to say she finished tied for FOURTH not tied for FIFTH in the Lia Thomas race," Olbermann wrote in his post, referencing the 2022 NCAA Division I swimming championships when Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200 free. Gaines, the host of OutKick's "Gaines for Girls" podcast and a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, responded promptly to Olbermann's slight and reminded the ex-ESPN host that Thomas ranked lower in the men's competition before transitioning to the women's team. "Thank you! And while you're keeping track, make sure to congratulate Emma Weyant, the right National Champ in the 500 freestyle, too," Gaines said, referring to Thomas' title in the 2022 championships. Gaines continued, "(If you're insinuating 5th in the nation is bad, what do you call a man who ranks 462nd nationally in the men's category?)" Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title. During competition, Thomas set multiple individual program records. On Tuesday, UPenn announced that a trio of records set by Thomas that season would be updated to reflect the female competitor's records. A note on the school's website, however, still recognized Thomas' records based on the NCAA's eligibility requirements at the time. "NOTE: Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season," the annotation read. Earlier this year, in compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order, the NCAA announced it was updating its gender eligibility policies to ban all biological males from competing in women's competition. In UPenn's statement on Tuesday, Penn President J. Larry Jameson said the university plans to "fully comply" with Title IX and the NCAA's current policies. "The University will not – on the basis of sex – exclude female students from participation in, deny female students the benefits of, or subject female students to discrimination under, any athletics programs. In addition, in providing to female student-athletes intimate facilities such as locker rooms and bathrooms in connection with Penn Athletics, such facilities shall be strictly separated on the basis of sex and comparably provided to each sex," the school wrote. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Newsweek
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Simone Biles and Riley Gaines' Dispute Explained
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Simone Biles and Riley Gaines have been involved in a public online feud, with tensions escalating and Biles now appearing to have deleted her account on X, formerly known as Twitter. Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Biles via email, and to Gaines via an online contact form, outside of regular working hours for comment. Why It Matters Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. The 28-year-old won her first title in 2013 and by 2015, had become the first woman to win three straight world all-around titles. To date, Biles has 11 Olympic medals, seven of which are gold. Gaines, 25 is a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky and host of Outkick's Gaines for Girls podcast. She is a prominent conservative activist and is known for being an advocate against trans women in sport. Left, Simone Biles poses with her Paris 2024 Olympic medals at Bercy Arena in Paris on August 5, 2024. Right, Riley Gaines attends the Folds Of Honor Tennessee Rock N' Jock Celebrity Softball Game at... Left, Simone Biles poses with her Paris 2024 Olympic medals at Bercy Arena in Paris on August 5, 2024. Right, Riley Gaines attends the Folds Of Honor Tennessee Rock N' Jock Celebrity Softball Game at First Horizon Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 3, 2024. More/What To Know The drama, which has become viral online, first began on June 6 when Gaines reposted a photo on X, formerly Twitter from the Minnesota State High School League's account. The post read, "Meet Champlin Park, the Class AAAA Softball State Champion for 2025... Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." Multiple outlets have reported that the transgender athlete Marissa Rothenberger is a pitcher on the team. Biles then responded to Gaines' message on X, calling her "truly sick," and a "straight up sore loser." She added: "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 her post, Biles wrote "all of this campaigning because you lost a race," which is in reference to Gaines' 2022 race with the University of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas, a trans woman. They tied for fifth place in a 200-yard freestyle race, and Gaines later testified in Congress about fairness in women's sports. In a separate post, Biles said: "Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_." Gaines shared a series of posts in response to this. She wrote on X: "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." Gaines later followed this up, responding to Biles' remark about her body, writing: "And the subtle hint at "body-shaming" ???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5"." In a further post, Gaines wrote: "All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings. You know how many gold medals you'd have if your "inclusive" dream came true? Zero." Biles was one of hundreds of women who came forward who to say they had been sexually abused by the former US Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nasar, who used his position to sexually assault young athletes in what is the largest sexual abuse scandal in sporting history. Nasar was first arrested and charged in 2016 with sexually assaulting at least 265 women, under the guise of medical treatment. He was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison in 2017, after he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and evidence tampering. He received an additional 40 to 175 years in the Michigan Department of corrections, after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced again in February of 2018 to an additional 40 to 125 years in Michigan State Prison, after he pleaded guilty to an additional three counts of sexual assault. Biles has previously said that the abuse was "traumatizing." Gaines was criticized for her post commenting about Biles' experience, with some social media users describing it as "vile" and "astonishing," though other social media users have continued to support her. Biles later apologized for her remarks about Gaines, and wrote: "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." Gaines accepted Biles' apology, for "the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me." Biles now appears to have deleted her account on X following the fallout. The reaction online has been mixed, with both Gaines and Biles being praised and criticized from different social media users who sit on different sides of the political spectrum. What People Are Saying Simone Biles previously wrote on X: "I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful." Riley Gaines previously wrote on X: "I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had." What's Next It's unclear exactly why Biles deleted her account on X. She still has her Instagram account, where she has 12.4 million followers, and recently posted celebrating being named the winner of the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Female Sports Star award.
