Simone Biles Clashes with Riley Gaines in Fiery Transgender Athlete Debate

In a heated online exchange, Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles clashed with OutKick contributor Riley Gaines over the contentious issue of transgender athletes in sports. The debate ignited after Gaines commented on a Minnesota high school softball team’s state championship win, led by a transgender pitcher, Marissa Rothenberger, who delivered a shutout performance for Champlin Park High School.

Gaines criticized the situation on social media, pointing out that comments were turned off on the team’s celebratory post and implying unfairness with her remark, 'To be expected when your star player is a boy.' This drew a sharp rebuke from Biles, who called Gaines 'truly sick' and accused her of being a 'sore loser' still bitter from past competitions. Biles went further, suggesting that Gaines should focus on uplifting the trans community and even proposed creating a separate transgender category across all sports to ensure inclusivity and safety.

Not backing down, Gaines fired back, insisting that it’s not women’s responsibility to carve out space for men in female sports. She doubled down on her stance, arguing that men don’t belong in women’s categories and took a jab at Biles, suggesting she might consider competing in men’s gymnastics events like pommel horse in the future. The exchange escalated with personal barbs, as Biles told Gaines to 'bully someone your own size,' while Gaines dismissed any insinuation of body-shaming as absurd.

While Biles didn’t explicitly endorse transgender athletes competing directly against women, her call for a new category hints at a search for middle ground. Meanwhile, public opinion, as reflected in recent studies, leans heavily against biological males participating in girls’ and women’s sports, with nearly 80% opposing such inclusion. This debate is far from over, and it’s clear the intersection of sports, identity, and fairness remains a deeply divisive arena.