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Former swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines has strongly supported former ESPN host Sam Ponder, commending her for speaking out on protecting women’s sports. Following her departure from ESPN last year, Ponder has finally opened up about the circumstances that led to her exit.
She revealed that she sensed her time at ESPN might be nearing its end after a series of events dating back two years. It began when she retweeted a video featuring former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlan, who detailed her experience as a teammate of transgender athlete Lia Thomas. Later, during the 2024 Paris Olympics, following Imane Khelif’s first-round match against Angela Carini, Carini withdrew 46 seconds into the bout. Ponder had tweeted in support of Carini.
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In a recent appearance on The Sage Steele Show, Ponder discussed how these events led up to her departure. She said the dismissal wasn't solely because of the tweet, but the timing of it tipped the scales. Riley Gaines reshared the interview and wrote:
“Two of the most incredible women I've had the pleasure of knowing. Beautiful, smart, & unwilling to compromise on what they know to be right. ESPN's loss.”
In the interview, Ponder described the Olympic boxing situation as “abuse” and questioned the fairness being advocated in the name of inclusion. Ponder explained that her limited role at ESPN, working only Sundays on Countdown, may not have aligned with what the network wanted, and that she had previously turned down more work to prioritize time with her three young children. While she claimed most senior executives agreed with her views, she said a strong activist presence at Disney was displeased with her stance.
Riley Gaines reacts to old gender test alleging Imane Khelif is biologically male
Riley Gaines has continued to oppose Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s participation, including at the Paris Olympics. In June 2025, just ahead of the Eindhoven Box Cup, an old report regarding Khelif’s gender identity resurfaced online. Gaines reacted by reposting the news with the caption:
“To all the people that insisted Imane Khelif was a woman because his passport said so, you were wrong. We were right. Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty," Gaines wrote.
However, Khelif did not compete at the Eindhoven Box Cup. Despite the controversy surrounding a reported failed gender eligibility test at the 2023 World Championships, Khelif has always competed in the women’s division and was cleared by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to participate at the Paris Games. She went on to win gold in the welterweight category.
