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 her neck.
A fan comments on Simone Biles’ response
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 also 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.
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 Biles herself had once faced criticism for having a muscular physique as a gymnast.
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 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.
