Simone Biles expanded on her “fair competition” stance in the transgender athlete debate Tuesday after her feud with Riley Gaines exploded on social media over the weekend.
In a lengthy post shared on X, the 11-time Olympic medalist gymnast addressed how “the current system doesn’t adequately balance” principles such as “competitive equity” and “inclusivity,” often igniting “heated exchanges” such as her sparring match with Gaines, to which Biles, 28, apologized for.
“I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,” Biles wrote.
Simone Biles spoke out in June 2025 on the transgender athlete debate following her social media feud with Riley Gaines.AP
Riley Gaines pictured here in January 2025.Getty Images
The social media drama between Biles and Gaines, 25, unfolded last week when the political activist and former collegiate swimmer reacted to a Minnesota high school softball team winning a state championship with a transgender pitcher on the roster.
When Gaines took note of the comments on the post about the team being turned off, she expressed, “To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
In response to Gaines’ comment, Biles fired back and stated she was “truly sick.”
Simone Biles is an 11-time Olympic medalist gymnast.Getty Images
In a follow-up message, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist told Gaines, “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
“These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports,” Biles wrote Tuesday. “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. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition.”
In response to a Simone Biles message, Riley Gaines fired back on X, “Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card.”Independent Women’s Forum
The former collegiate swimmer is a political activist.ZUMAPRESS.com
Gaines, who competed against trans swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022, expressed disappointment in Biles following her messages Friday.
“This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card,” she wrote.
The fallout only continued from there, with Gaines firing back on X and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick weighing in.
Simone Biles concluded her post Tuesday with the message, “We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”Getty Images
“This issue has a shelf life. I truly believe common sense will prevail,” Patrick said Sunday on Instagram. “But until then, I am grateful for people like Riley Gaines who are making sure no one gets away with it. Not to mention the fact that she actually lived it.”
Gaines spoke out again on the latest installment of her “Gaines for Girls” podcast on Outkick, where she suggested Biles damaged her legacy over what was shared on X.
“In just two tweets, Simone Biles basically tarnished her reputation to anyone with a shred of honesty, to anyone with a moral compass and to anyone with an inherent innate desire to protect women, to fight for equal opportunity for both men and women especially as it pertains to sports,” Gaines said.
The conclusion I’m drawing based on the response we have seen over the past 12-ish hours at this point on social media, she’s basically incinerated her legacy in just two tweets.”
Biles concluded her post Tuesday by sharing her hope for the future of sport, one “that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”
Gaines said Tuesday she accepted Biles’ apology and stated, “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.”
