Simone Biles slams Riley Gaines as ‘sick’ for her comments on transgender athletes in sports.

Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles has found herself in a heated exchange with Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer known for her outspoken stance against transgender girls and women participating in female sports. Biles, who holds the title of the most decorated Olympic gymnast in history, labeled Gaines as “sick” and a “sore loser” in a post on social media platform X. In her message, Biles expressed that Gaines should focus on uplifting the transgender community, suggesting the possibility of creating a separate category for transgender athletes in all sports to foster inclusivity.

Biles emphasized that bullying individuals within the trans community is unacceptable, declaring, “One thing’s for sure, no one in sports is safe with you around!” Riley Gaines gained notoriety after tying for fifth place with transgender athlete Lia Thomas during a collegiate competition in 2022. Following this event, Gaines has carved a niche for herself as a conservative media figure, arguing against the inclusion of trans women in female sports due to perceived unfairness and safety concerns for cisgender female competitors.

With a substantial social media following of over 1.5 million on X, Gaines frequently critiques and mocks transgender athletes. In response to Biles, Gaines expressed her disappointment, arguing that her views represent a widely accepted perspective. She questioned Biles’ stance, calling her a “male-apologist” at the expense of young girls’ aspirations, which she did not anticipate finding in the dialogue.

The topic of transgender girls and women competing in female sports has sparked significant debate in the United States, especially after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at restricting their participation. Prior to that, several states had already enacted laws banning transgender individuals from competing according to their gender identity.