Olympic athlete Simone Biles has apologized for escalating a spat with swimming star and conservative activist Riley Gaines after Gaines spoke out against trans athletes competing on girls’ sports teams. Posting on X, Biles said that she had not been empathetic towards Gaines, who Biles called “truly sick” for standing up for women and girls in sports.
For context, the feud between Biles and Gaines began on June 6, 2025, when Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimming champion, spoke out on X, criticizing a Minnesota girls’ softball team for their inclusion of a transgender athlete. In response to Gaines’s defense of girls’ teams staying girls-only, Biles said that Gaines was just a “sore loser” who was lashing out in bitterness.
In a June 6 X post that got over 50 million views, Biles shot back at Gaines, calling her “truly sick” and adding that Gaines was only “campaigning because you lost a race.” Biles then called Gaines a “straight-up sore loser,” adding, “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!!”
Continuing, Biles said that instead of advocating for members of the trans community, Gaines was being a “bully,” adding, “One things (sic) for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!” In response, Gaines left a comment, saying, “This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces.”
Moreover, Gaines argued that Biles should “uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform” instead of telling Gaines to do the same. She concluded, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports, and I say that with my full chest.” Countless commenters supported Gaines standing her ground, with one X user saying, “Simone, if you had to compete against men, you wouldn’t be a medalist.”
Several days later, on June 10, Biles posted again to “follow up” on the previous post in which she called out Gaines, saying, “I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport.” She added, “The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.”
Continuing, Biles said that the issue at hand was “sensitive” and “complicated,” adding, “I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to [them], but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.” She went on, “I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports. My objection is to be (sic) singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.”
Concluding her post, Biles said that she believes that “sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition.” She added, “We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”
Featured image credit: Simone Biles via X