Olympic Champion Slams ‘Sore Loser’ for Bullying Trans Athletes

Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, has publicly denounced former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines for her repeated attacks on transgender athletes. In a strongly worded social media post, Biles called Gaines “sick” and a “sore loser” for her relentless campaigning against the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports.

The exchange erupted on Friday night after Gaines mocked 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. One of the team’s players is a transgender girl. Gaines referred to the student-athlete as “a boy” and ridiculed the league for disabling comments.

Biles, who has long championed mental health awareness and survivor advocacy, had seen enough. In a rare foray into online confrontation, she reposted Gaines’ tweet and responded with a direct rebuke. “You’re truly sick,” Biles wrote. “All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.”

Biles referenced Gaines’ performance at the 2022 NCAA championships, where she tied for fifth with Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer. Since then, Gaines has built a prominent public profile lobbying against the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports, becoming a fixture on right-wing media outlets and appearing alongside Donald Trump as he signed an executive order banning trans girls and women from competing in women’s sports.

Biles didn’t stop there. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports,” she wrote. “Maybe a transgender category IN ALL SPORTS!! But instead… You bully them… One thing for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”

Gaines quickly fired back, calling Biles’ remarks “so disappointing” and insisting: “Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.” However, Biles’ comments drew swift praise from supporters, who praised her for using her platform to defend marginalized athletes and push back against what they view as a pattern of bullying and scapegoating by Gaines.

Critics of Gaines have long accused her of using her platform to spread transphobic rhetoric and bully transgender athletes. In the case of Champlin Park, Gaines made multiple posts about the transgender pitcher, even mentioning the player by name and referring to her with male pronouns, despite the team’s vocal support for their teammate.

The comments from Biles, who has long been an advocate for mental health awareness and survivor advocacy, have sparked a heated debate about the role of athletes in promoting inclusivity and acceptance in sports. While some have accused Biles of hypocrisy and attention-seeking, others have praised her for using her platform to stand up for marginalized athletes and push back against transphobic rhetoric.

Despite the backlash, Biles has not walked back her comments. The Olympic champion has long been an advocate for mental health awareness and survivor advocacy, and her stance on transphobic rhetoric has earned her widespread support from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Minnesota State High School League said: “We are proud to support our student-athletes and promote inclusivity in sports. We believe that all athletes, regardless of their gender identity, should be able to participate in sports without fear of bullying or harassment.”

The exchange between Biles and Gaines has sparked a wider conversation about the role of athletes in promoting inclusivity and acceptance in sports. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: Simone Biles is not backing down.