Riley Gaines reacts as trans athlete Sadie Schreiner expresses dissent on being prohibited from racing at BU's Valentine Invitational

Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, has often expressed concerns over transgender athletes competing in women's games. This time, she called for measures such as cheek swab tests based on a recent incident with Sadie Schreiner, who is a transgender athlete.

In her X video, Schreiner said she was barred from participating in the Boston University Valentine Invitational. She expressed surprise at the decision and highlighted the challenges transgender athletes face in navigating eligibility criteria.

Reflecting on the event, the transgender athlete expressed concerns over the situation, accompanied by a caption:

"He says this could happen to any female athlete who doesn't conform to what BU thinks a female athlete is. He brings up a great point! A one-time cheek swab for all female athletes would serve as a passport for entry to the women's category, removing any doubts about eligibility and protecting the female category."

Riley Gaines also took to X to voice her opinion on the cheek swab test for female athletes. She reposted the video on her handle and wrote:

"Bring back cheek swabs"

The heated controversies come after the US president on February 5, 2025, signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from participating in female sports.

Riley Gaines reflects on Sadie Schreiner's participation in women's sports

Riley Gaines at the House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing Examining Female Athletics And Title IX - Source: Getty

In 2024, Riley Gaines criticized the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, referring to Sadie Schreiner's performance in the 200m event at the D3 collegiate level. At the event, Schreiner recorded the third-fastest time at the Division III event in the women's category.

However, Gaines pointed out that Schreiner ranked 1,619th in the men's division at the same time, explaining the significant difference in performance when compared to other male athletes.

In February 2024, Gaines took to X to share her opinion on the event. She suggested that allowing athletes like Schreiner to compete in the women's category, despite their previous rankings in the men's division, undermines fair competition and creates an imbalance for cisgender female athletes. She wrote:

"Sadie (Camden) Schreiner's time in the 200m makes him the 3rd fastest D3 collegiate runner in the nation in the women's category. For perspective, his time ranks him 1,619th in his rightful category of the men's division.1619th->3rd. But no yeah men can totally become women!"

Riley Gaines has been advocating against transgender athletes' participation in women's games, following a controversy in March 2022. During the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, Gaines and Lia Thomas tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle event. Despite the tie, the NCAA awarded a fifth-place trophy to Thomas.