“Simone Biles would have zero Olympic medals”- Riley Gaines gives detailed response to gymnast over row involving transgender athletes

Riley Gaines gave a detailed response to the ongoing debate with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles about transgender athletes. The two traded barbs on Saturday, June 7, after Biles took a jab at Gaines for mocking the Minnesota State High School League for turning off comments on a post celebrating Champlin Park High School’s girls' softball team, which had just won the state championship and included a transgender girl on the team.

Biles called out Gaines for singling out individuals, stood up for marginalized athletes, and condemned the former swimmer's long campaign of bullying and scapegoating transgender athletes. Biles’ response struck a nerve and elicited mixed reactions on social media.

On Sunday, June 8, Gaines shared a detailed response to Biles regarding their X exchange via a video note posted on Instagram. She claimed that Biles wouldn't have won any Olympic medals under inclusive policies and mocked the idea of her competing against men.

"I have a feeling that if Simone's inclusive dream came true, she would have zero Olympic medals and no one would even know who she is", she said in the video response.

"Maybe in the 28 Olympics, she can compete and palm the horse and the rings, but I'm going to keep standing up for women and girls, which is just about the least controversial take on the entire planet," she added.

Here's the detailed analysis:

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Riley Gaines' first response: Biles calls Gaines a bully

Gaines responded to Biles’ tweet, calling it baseless and abrupt. She addressed Biles’ accusation that she was campaigning out of bitterness from losing a race, stating that her stance is not rooted in personal defeat. Gaines clarified that she tied in the race in question and did not lose to a transgender athlete. She rejected the bullying claim and said Biles’ assertion that “no one in sport is safe” around her made no sense.

You can find the original tweet below:

This refers to the 2022 NCAA Championships, where Gaines tied for fifth with a transgender swimmer. Since then, Gaines has been a vocal critic of transgender inclusion in women’s sports.

In December 2023, NCAA President Charlie Baker testified that, 'of the NCAA’s over 530,000 student athletes, less than 10 are transgender. Baker provided data to underscore the small scale of transgender athlete participation at the collegiate level.

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Riley Gaines' second response: "Bully someone your own size"

Riley Gaines also responded to Biles’ follow-up tweet, telling her to “bully someone your own size,” which she found ironic and offensive. She said the comment implied biological differences between men and women, contradicting Biles’ stance on inclusion.

You can find the original tweet below:

Gaines also called the comment hypocritical, noting that Biles herself had previously faced scrutiny over her muscular build and had led body positivity efforts.

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Riley Gaines' reference to the Larry Nassar case

Riley Gaines invoked the case of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually abusing young female athletes under the guise of treatment. His abuse spanned decades and involved over a hundred survivors. Biles has been an outspoken advocate for athlete safety and accountability.

Gaines criticized Biles for supporting policies that she believes compromise women’s safety, such as allowing biological men in women’s locker rooms.

"This is a woman who has been incredibly brave in calling out and witnessing the horrific sexual abuse that she and hundreds of other female gymnasts face at the hands of one sexual predator. That predator being Larry Nassar, in the same breath believing that vulnerable women should be forced to strip down naked in front of men and locker rooms, so long as it makes the man feel happy if Larry Nassar came out as trans, would Simone think it's responsible or safe for him to be housed in a women's prison?"

Riley Gaines concluded by accusing Biles of “pulling up the ladder” after achieving success and accused the gymnast of 'internalized misogyny' and being a 'male apologist,' saying she never expected such a stance from Biles in 2025.