"I accept Simone Biles' apology" – Riley Gaines welcomes gymnast to advocate for fair sports

Riley Gaines accepted Simone Biles' apology while reaffirming her strong stance regarding fairness in women's sports. The former swimmer welcomed Biles to join the fight for fair opportunities for female athletes. The tussle between the two started when Biles called out Gaines for her mocking remarks about the inclusion of a transgender girl on Champlin Park High School's girls’ softball team.

The altercation between the athletes heated up on social media and elicited a mixed reaction. Gaines has given multiple responses to Simone Biles through her social media handles and via OutKick. The gymnast hadn't responded until Tuesday, June 10, when she tweeted an apology.

The gymnast apologised for making the disagreement personal, and she pointed to the need for both inclusivity and fairness in sports. Biles called for empathy, respect, and better policies from sports organizations.

Riley Gaines responded to Simone Biles' tweet, beginning with accepting Simone Biles' apology for the personal attacks while standing her ground. Gaines put forward her thought that sports should be inclusive, but competition is inherently exclusive, challenging ‘competitive equity’.

“A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can, and everyone SHOULD, play sports. Competition, on the other hand and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of "competitive equity" is nonsensical.”

Gaines condemned the public humiliation of girls by boys in sports and asserted that silence in the face of such behaviour reflects a lack of empathy and protection for young women. Gaines also added about her continued advocacy for women's sports, mentioning her lawsuit against the NCAA and her appearance alongside President Donald Trump at the signing of an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.

Gaines concluded by saying little girls deserve the same chance to achieve their goals like Biles and invited the latter to join the fight to ensure fair sports for female athletes.

“Women's sports can't be used as an excuse for girls to centre the feelings and validation of men and boys. 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,” Gaines said.

Riley Gaines has been lobbying against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports since 2022, after she tied for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 2022 NCAA Championships. She retired from competitive swimming the same year.

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Simone Biles objects to Riley Gaines for singling out children in ‘personal and harmful ways'

Following her tweets directed at Riley Gaines, Simone Biles issued an apology for making the issue personal. The gymnast noted that her objection was not about compromising women’s sports but about publicly singling out children. Biles stressed that individual athletes, especially kids, shouldn’t be blamed for systemic issues.

“My objection is to be 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. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful,”Biles said.

Biles called for sports organizations to create policies that balance inclusion with fair competition.