What happened between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines? Heated online exchange over trans athlete's win explained

Gymnast Simone Biles and former swimmer Riley Gaines are at loggerheads. This concerns the latter’s recent comments about a trans athlete's win. On June 7, 2025, Gaines reshared an X post by the Minnesota State High School League, writing:

“Comments off lol To be expected when your star player is a boy.”

This made Simone Biles react to the post, as she wrote:

“@Riley_Gaines_You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. 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 things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”

Riley Gaines commented on the post, expressing her disappointment, saying she didn’t believe it was her responsibility, or any other woman’s, to figure out ways to include men in women’s spaces.

She criticized those who used their influence to support men competing in women’s sports and stated that she believed men should not be part of women’s competitions. Simone Biles also shared another post, in which she tagged Riley Gaines and wrote:

“bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_”

The online back-and-forth went on further, and Riley Gaines reacted to Simone Biles’ comment by saying she was let down. She believed her opinion wasn’t extreme and was surprised that Biles seemed to defend men in a way that, in her view, dismissed young girls' opportunities.

Gaines suggested Biles could try competing in men’s events like pommel horse and rings at the next Olympics. She also brushed off what she felt was an unnecessary comment about body-shaming, pointing out her height to make her point.

Riley Gaines brought up the Larry Nassar incident during the online rift with Simone Biles

In another X post, Riley Gaines mentioned Larry Nassar, a doctor who was accused of s*xual abuse and against whom Simone Biles provided testimony. She accused Biles of supporting ideas that, in Gaines’ opinion, would force women to undress in front of men to make those men feel accepted.

Gaines also claimed that if Biles’ vision of inclusivity became reality, she wouldn’t have won any gold medals. As per another post shared by Riley Gaines, Simone Biles was seen reading out a statement, which was in connection with the Larry Nassar case.

She shared that she had also been a victim of s*xual abuse and believed the abuse happened and continued because the organizations responsible for protecting athletes did not do their jobs.

She said she never wanted any other gymnast, Olympian, or anyone else to go through the kind of pain she and many others experienced because of Larry Nassar.

According to The Mirror US, Gaines had previously called Simone Biles and basketball player Caitlin Clark to speak up against trans athletes joining sports under the women’s category.

Riley Gaines admitted it might be unlikely for someone like Biles to speak out, but felt that if well-known women who had broken barriers and inspired young girls openly said that trans athletes shouldn’t compete in women’s sports, the issue could have been resolved quickly and on a wide scale.

Trending

Also Read: Who is AB Hernandez? Trans athlete wins 2 girls' events under new California rule at state finals

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback