A heated social media confrontation erupted between Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles and conservative commentator Riley Gaines over “trans” participation in women’s sports, with the dispute escalating into personal attacks and dredging up past controversies.
The conflict began when Gaines criticized a Minnesota high school softball team’s state championship victory, specifically targeting their trans-identifying player.
Gaines reposted an image of Champlin Park High School celebrating their title with trans-identifying pitcher Marissa Rothenberger on the team.
Gaines wrote in response to the celebratory post, “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
This comment sparked the initial confrontation between the two prominent figures.
Biles, the 28-year-old Olympic hero, launched a scathing counterattack against the former collegiate swimmer.
She criticized Gaines’ stance and accused her of “bullying” trans-identifying athletes.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles wrote in her initial response.
She continued her criticism by suggesting alternative approaches to so-called transgender inclusion in sports.
The gymnastics champion argued that Gaines 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.”