Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles issued a public statement Tuesday walking back her previous comments regarding trans-identifying athletes in women’s sports following a contentious social media dispute with former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.
The 11-time Olympic medalist published her remarks on X, acknowledging that current policies fail to properly address competing concerns around fairness and inclusion in athletic competition.
Biles directly apologized to Gaines for making their disagreement personal during their public exchange last week.
“I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport,” the 28-year-old gymnast stated.
“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.”
The confrontation began when Gaines, who has become a prominent political activist since ending her swimming career, responded to news about a Minnesota high school softball team winning a state championship with a biological male pitcher on their roster.
Gaines wrote on social media that the victory was “to be expected when your star player is a boy.”
The former swimmer’s comment prompted a sharp response from Biles, who called Gaines “truly sick” for her remarks.
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist escalated the exchange by telling Gaines to “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
In her Tuesday statement, Biles attempted to clarify her position while expressing regret over the personal nature of their dispute.
The gymnastics star acknowledged she lacks clear solutions to the complex issues surrounding transgender participation in women’s athletics.
“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,” Biles explained in her statement.
She emphasized that her concerns centered on protecting individual athletes, particularly minors, from public criticism rather than advocating for specific policy positions.
“I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports,” Biles clarified.
“My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.”
The Olympic champion argued that young athletes should not bear responsibility for systemic issues beyond their control.
Biles called on sports organizations to develop comprehensive policies that address both inclusion and competitive fairness.
“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,” she stated.
Gaines responded to Biles’ initial comments Friday by expressing disappointment with the gymnast’s position.
“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,” Gaines wrote.
The debate attracted additional commentary from other prominent figures, including former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
Patrick weighed in Sunday through an Instagram post supporting Gaines’ advocacy efforts.
“This issue has a shelf life. I truly believe common sense will prevail,” Patrick wrote, according to The Sun.
“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.”
Biles concluded her statement by expressing optimism about finding balanced solutions for women’s athletics moving forward.
The gymnast said she hopes the future of sport will be one “that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”
The post Simone Biles Backtracks After Trans Tirade, Apologizes for Unhinged Attack Against Riley Gaines appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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