Olympic gymnastics icon Simone Biles is no stranger to standing tall on the world stage, but her latest viral moment came not from a podium, but from a pointed post on social media.
Biles ignited fierce debate this week when she publicly called out former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines over her continued criticism of transgender athletes in women’s sports, calling Gaines “truly sick” for her targeting of a Minnesota high school team that includes a trans-identifying player.
“All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles posted on X, directly responding to Gaines’ criticism of the Champlin Park Rebels, a girls’ softball team that recently won a state championship.
Biles, widely regarded as one of the most decorated gymnasts in history, didn’t stop there. She advocated for inclusion, suggesting that if existing sports structures can’t accommodate trans athletes, “maybe a transgender category in all sports” should be considered.
She further challenged Gaines’ rhetoric, accusing her of bullying and stating, “No one in sports is safe with you around!”
Gaines Fires Back: “Simone Tarnished Her Legacy”
Gaines, who has become a prominent figure in the national debate over trans inclusion in sports, responded during the latest episode of her “Gaines for Girls” podcast, saying Biles had “incinerated her legacy” with just two tweets.
“To anyone with a shred of honesty… a moral compass… she basically tarnished her reputation,” Gaines said, framing Biles’ comments as a betrayal of women’s equality in sports.
Gaines, who has frequently spoken out about her experience racing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during the 2022 NCAA Championships, argues that trans women, who were assigned male at birth, should not be allowed to compete in female divisions.
She also referenced a pending lawsuit filed by her and other athletes against the NCAA, which alleges unfair treatment and privacy violations stemming from shared locker room facilities with Thomas.
“It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,” Gaines posted in reply to Biles.
A Flashpoint in an Ongoing Debate
Simone Biles’ comments have drawn both praise and backlash online, reigniting the contentious national debate over whether and how trans-identifying athletes should be included in women’s sports. For her part, Biles is urging empathy and broader inclusion, arguing that sports should be a space where everyone, regardless of gender identity, feels safe and supported.
“You should be uplifting the trans community… or creating a new avenue where trans [athletes] feel safe,” Biles wrote.
Despite their sharp disagreement, Gaines ended her podcast by inviting Biles to join her for a public discussion about women’s sports and gender inclusion.
Whether or not that conversation will happen remains to be seen. But for now, Simone Biles is using her voice just as powerfully as she once used her vaults — by launching herself into the air, against the current, and sticking the landing on what she believes is right.
