The Olympic gold medalist is facing backlash after replying to a post by a retired swimmer who made fun of a school for turning off comments while sharing their victory.
The Minnesota State High School League celebrated Champlin Park as the Class AAAA Softball State Champion for 2025 on X. In the photo shared, the team is seen smiling proudly on the field while holding a championship plaque, with each player wearing a medal around their neck.
The social media upload caught the eye of former U.S. swimmer Riley Gaines. She wrote, “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
The political activist’s post drew a strong response from Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. She replied, “@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser [sic].”
Biles stated that Gaines should support the transgender community and work toward making sports more inclusive, possibly by creating a separate category where transgender athletes feel safe. Instead, she accused Gaines of targeting and bullying them, adding that no one in sports feels safe with her involved.
Gaines responded by expressing her disappointment, stating that it is not the responsibility of women to find ways to include men in female spaces. She emphasized that, in her view, men should not compete in women’s sports and stood firmly by her stance.
Following Gaines’s strong reply, many users on social media quickly voiced their opinions. A flood of comments soon filled the post, with people sharing mixed views on the heated exchange.
One user wrote, “Wow, this response is truly unbelievable and completely disappointing to read. […] Simone called Riley a bully but the words you’ve chosen, as an Olympian & role model, are disrespectful to her & rude.”
Another person added, “Disappointed to see this. But how easy it is to salt the earth behind you as you exit the sport and ensure future women won’t be able to achieve what you did.”
Others shared their dismay more directly, with one person saying, “And just like that, you are no longer a role model for little girls,” and another adding, “Sad what has become of you Simone. Very sad….”
Still, not everyone criticized her. One supporter commented, “You should be helping her ensure that women’s sports are for women. Anything else is deeply unfair.”
Another person admired Biles, “I did not know it was humanly possible to respect someone more than I already respected you, you are just truly a class act! 100% of the time The Goat of Goats!”
Another voice praised, “This is real leadership. Thank you for standing up Simone and everyone else supporting her.”
Gaines later addressed the situation on Instagram, saying that Biles had chosen to turn her back on women and girls who have dreams of achieving success. She also claimed that Biles had made the matter personal by attacking and body-shaming her.
In a video, Gaines highlighted one of Biles’ tweets that said, “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines.” According to the swimmer, the comment was ironic because it admitted there are physical and biological differences between men and women.
She also pointed out the contradiction of Biles commenting on her body, especially since the Olympian herself had once faced criticism for having a muscular physique as a gymnast.
Gaines didn’t stop at calling out what she saw as hypocrisy. Her efforts have gone far beyond that. She has become a key figure in the fight to protect women’s single-sex spaces, pushing for fairness, safety, and equal chances for female athletes.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Gaines earned the honor of being a 12-time All-American swimmer. Her advocacy took shape in 2022 after she competed and tied with UPenn’s Lia Thomas, who is biologically male, during the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
Following that experience, Gaines spoke out, saying she was made to compete against a male athlete and forced to share a locker room without consent. Her words challenged the decisions of sports authorities like the NCAA, USA Swimming, and the International Olympic Committee.
Today, Gaines works with a leading women’s organization that focuses on legally defining the term “woman,” protecting Title IX rights, and defending single-sex spaces. She continues to speak across the country and has appeared before the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and several state legislatures.
