Riley Gaines weighs in on women's safety after horrifying stabbing attack on Ukrainian refugee

Riley Gaines weighed in on the need for the US women to carry lethal force for their safety. This stemmed from the recent incident when a man carried out a deadly knife attack on a Ukrainian refugee on public transport, sending shockwaves throughout the nation.

Riley Gaines, the swimmer who competed for the University of Kentucky, faced the hardest blow when she had to stand alongside transgender athlete Lia Thomas with the sixth-place medal despite tying for fifth with Thomas. The unfair situation led to Gaines becoming a vocal critic for transgender inclusion in women's sports and even launched a legal case against the NCAA over the same.

The 25-year-old has also been an active supporter of Trump's candidacy and never shied away from putting forth her opinions on social media. Recently, she supported an X user and businessman, John Rich, who suggested that women should carry lethal arms to safeguard themselves in the US.

"American women should be carrying lethal force at all times. Ladies, go buy a weapon that fits your hand, learn to be proficient with it, and have it on you every time you leave the house. A five round Lady Smith .38 is small, and will get it done if you have to defend yourself."

Gaines responded:

"100% this"

The concern stemmed from the incident that ignited a firestorm in the nation. A man, Decarlos Brown, carried out a deadly knife attack on a Ukrainian refugee woman in a public place. Brown was held for the first-degree murder of Iryna Zarutska and is likely to be given a death sentence, as per the Attorney General.

Riley Gaines recently shouted out to a high school for standing up for the girl athletes

Riley Gaines at the Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Rally In Glendale, Arizona - (Source: Getty)

Riley Gaines, a prominent advocate for women's rights, recently praised Dighton-Rehoboth High School for choosing not to compete against Somerset Berkley after a biological male athlete, playing on the girls' team, seriously injured a Dighton-Rehoboth player during a 2023 hockey game, causing significant dental and facial injuries.

For the second consecutive year, the DR High School scratched its field hockey teams from the roster, including transgender players. Gaines shared her view on X, saying:

"A Massachusetts high school has forfeited all field hockey games against a team with a boy after a girl had her teeth knocked out by a male player last year. Bravo, listen to the screams of the girls in the video. That's on you."

Riley Gaines has completely transitioned from a swimmer to an activist, hosting a weekly OutKick and Fox Nation podcast, Gaines for Girls.

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder