A fierce social media confrontation has erupted between Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines over transgender participation in women's sports.
The dispute began when Gaines mocked a Minnesota high school softball team that won a state championship with transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger.
Gaines criticised the Minnesota State High School League for disabling comments on their celebratory post about Champlin Park High School's victory.
"To be expected when your star player is a boy," Gaines wrote on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the young transgender athlete.
Comments off lol
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 6, 2025
To be expected when your star player is a boy https://t.co/2qY2onUhNW
The comment prompted an immediate and forceful response from Biles, who condemned Gaines' remarks to her nearly two million followers, sparking a heated exchange between the two prominent athletes.
Biles launched a scathing attack on Gaines, calling her "truly sick" and accusing her of campaigning against transgender athletes because she had lost a race.
"You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles wrote, referencing Gaines' shared fifth-place finish with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
The seven-time Olympic gold medallist urged Gaines to support the transgender community rather than target them.
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Simone Biles and Riley Gaines have engaged in a war of words on social media
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Biles continued: "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."
Gaines swiftly countered Biles' criticism, expressing disappointment and defending her stance against transgender women in women's sports.
"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," Gaines responded.
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She accused Biles of being a "male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams" and suggested the gymnast should compete in men's events instead.
"Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028," Gaines wrote sarcastically, referencing apparatus used exclusively in men's gymnastics.
When Biles made a remark about bullying someone "your own size, which would ironically be a male," Gaines dismissed it as body-shaming, noting she stands at 5'5".
Since tying with Lia Thomas in the 200-metre freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Championships, Gaines has become a prominent figure in opposing transgender women's participation in women's sports.
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bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025
She has described feeling "cheated, betrayed and violated" by the experience and has transformed into an outspoken conservative activist.
Gaines has testified before the US Congress, initiated legal action against the NCAA, and established an advocacy organisation focused on what she characterises as "fairness" in women's athletics.
Her activism gained significant political backing when she attended the White House in February as President Donald Trump signed an executive order excluding transgender girls and women from competing in women's sports.
Gaines has consistently maintained that transgender women should not compete against biological women in sporting competitions.
Biles has consistently used her platform to advocate for athlete safety and mental health awareness, particularly after withdrawing from several events at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics to prioritise her wellbeing.
Meanwhile, the debate has shifted significantly in recent months.
In April, UK Supreme Court judges ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law.
Following this landmark decision, several UK sporting bodies, including the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board, have banned transgender women from participating in women's sport.
World Aquatics previously voted in 2022 to stop transgender women from competing in women's elite races if they have experienced any part of male puberty, a decision that Thomas unsuccessfully challenged through legal action.
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