After responding to a post by a retired swimmer who ridiculed a school for removing comments while announcing their win, the Olympic gold medallist is now receiving criticism.
On X, Champlin Park was honoured by the Minnesota State High School League as the 2025 Class AAAA Softball State Champion. The team is shown holding a championship plaque and grinning gleefully on the pitch in the shared shot, with each player sporting a medal around her 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 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].”
Gaines should embrace the transgender community and strive to make sports more inclusive, perhaps by establishing a distinct category where transgender athletes feel safe, according to Biles. Rather, she said that Gaines had singled them out and harassed them, and that no one in sports felt secure when she was involved.
In response, Gaines said she was disappointed and that women are not responsible for figuring out how to integrate guys in feminine settings. She remained steadfast in her belief that men should not participate in women’s sports.
Many social media users swiftly expressed their opinions after Gaines’ forceful response. Soon after, the post was flooded with comments from people who had differing opinions about the contentious 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 expressed admiration for 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 joined in with praise, “This is real leadership. Thank you for standing up Simone and everyone else supporting her.”
Later, Gaines addressed the matter on Instagram, claiming that Biles had made the decision to abandon women and girls who aspire to succeed. She further asserted that Biles had attacked and body shamed her, personalising the situation.
Gaines used a video to emphasise a tweet from Biles that read, “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines.” The swimmer claimed that the remark was ironic as it acknowledged that men and women differ physically and biologically.
The Olympian herself had previously been criticised for having a strong figure as a gymnast, therefore she also drew attention to the paradox of Biles making comments about her appearance.
Gaines’ efforts have gone well beyond simply pointing out what she perceived to be hypocrisy. As an advocate for equality, safety, and justice for female athletes, she has emerged as a pivotal figure in the struggle to save women’s single-sex areas.
Gaines, a University of Kentucky alumnus, was recognised as a 12-time All-American swimmer. After she tied with Lia Thomas of UPenn, who is biologically male, at the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in 2022, her activism began to take shape
Gaines came out after the incident, claiming she was coerced into competing against a male competitor and made to share a locker room against her will. Her remarks questioned the rulings of sports organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, USA Swimming, and the NCAA.
Gaines now works for a prominent women’s organisation that defends single-sex places, defends Title IX rights, and attempts to define the term “woman” legally. She still gives speeches all throughout the nation and has addressed the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and a number of state legislatures.
