Sometimes, even when you’re the biggest star in the history of the sport, you have to admit you’re wrong. Earlier in the week, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines publicly accepted an apology from Olympic champion Simone Biles, transforming a bitter social media clash into an opportunity for common cause.
The dispute began last week after Biles condemned Gaines’ criticism of a Minnesota girls’ softball team that fielded a transgender pitcher during its championship run, according to multiple reports. In a pointed post on X, Biles called Gaines “truly sick” and mocked her physique, suggesting she “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.” The remarks ignited a firestorm, drawing backlash from Gaines’ supporters and sparking broader outrage from advocates of single-sex athletic competition.
Woke gymnast Simone Biles lashes out, calling Riley Gaines “truly sick” for standing up against men competing in women’s sports.
How embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/VU606x9F1S
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2025
But on Tuesday, Biles issued a mea culpa, acknowledging she had crossed a line. “It didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,” Biles wrote, while reiterating her belief in “competitive equity and inclusivity.” She stressed the need for sports governing bodies—not athletes themselves—to resolve these sensitive policy questions.
Gaines, who rose to national prominence after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships, responded with a mixture of grace and resolve. “I accept Simone’s apology for the personal attacks, including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like,” she said. Then, in a move that surprised even some of her critics, Gaines extended an invitation: “I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.”
Though the two athletes approach the issue from different angles, their exchange reflects a growing recognition that the conversation around transgender participation in sports is unlikely to be resolved through name-calling or partisan theater. Gaines, an outspoken advocate for protecting sex-based categories, has aligned herself with the Trump-era executive order banning transgender girls and women from women’s sports. Biles, while apologizing for her personal remarks, reiterated her discomfort with “singling out children for public scrutiny,” a move that downplays what she says she believes.
Biles has not said whether or not she’ll accept the offer from Gaines to do more for women’s sports.
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Let’s wait and see how Biles reacts when a transgender guy decides he wants to wear the skimpy little tights and compete with the other ladies. Of course we all that won’t ever happen because Gymnastics is also part beauty contest and unless the guy is operated on he will never be allowed in that sport. That is why Biles isn’t worried.