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Simone Biles clarifies criticism of Riley Gaines over her views on trans athletes

Civil Rights

From the Center

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."

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