Simone Biles clarifies criticism of Riley Gaines over her views on trans athletes
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is apologizing to conservative political activist Riley Gaines after a heated social media exchange over transgender athletes' involvement in women's sports.
The 11-time gymnastic champion's original comments came in response to Gaines, who criticized a Minnesota high school softball team for winning a championship game with a transgender pitcher. The tension between the two athletes escalated online after the GOAT called Gaines a "sore loser" and "bully.".
In response to the growing backlash and personal tone of her initial post, Biles returned to X on June 10 with a more empathetic message. She directly apologized to Gaines for getting "personal" and clarified that her intention was not to advocate for policies that "undermine fairness in women's sports."
