Riley Gaines revels in ‘phenom’ Simone Biles deactivating X account after trans athletes feud

Biles and Gaines have been publicly feuding over the inclusion and protection of trans athletes in sport

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines has responded to Olympic champion Simone Biles deactivating her X account amid their ongoing feud over trans athletes.

Earlier this month, seven-time gymnastics gold medalist Biles slammed Gaines on X over the former swimmer’s “truly sick” online comments about a transgender female softball player. She also told Gaines to “bully someone [her] own size, which would ironically be a male.” However, the gymnast later publicly apologized to Gaines for the heated words.

Biles has since deactivated her X account, though her other social media profiles remain active.

Gaines acknowledged Biles’s departure from the platform, sharing a screenshot of the deactivated account and writing: “has an incredibly unpopular and morally indefensible take, gets rightfully ridiculed for it, issues a groveling public apology after unrelenting backlash, deletes account to pretend it never happened.

“Sad to see such a phenom go down like this.”

Simone Biles has deleted her X account amid Riley Gaines feud (Getty Images)

The feud began June 6 when Gaines, a vocal Donald Trump supporter who is known for campaigning against trans athletes in women’s sports, mocked the Minnesota State High School League for removing comments on their post about the Chaplin Park girls’ team celebrating the State Championship.

“To be expected when your star player is a boy,” Gaines wrote on X of 17-year-old transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger.

Biles later responded to Gaines’s tweet. “You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,” Biles wrote, referring to Gaines’s famous fifth-place tie with transgender woman Lia Thomas in the 200m freestyle swimming at the 2022 NCAA Championships.

“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,” Biles continued. “Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!! Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”

Gaines quickly shot back and wrote: “It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.”

However, Biles later issued an apology for her remarks on X, writing: “I’ve always believe competitive equality & inclusivity are both essential in sport. 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 seven-time gold medalist noted she doesn’t “have the answers or solutions” to these issues, but believes “it starts with empathy and respect.” She concluded her lengthy post by saying that she believes sports organizations “have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition.”

Gaines responded by accepting Biles’s apology. “I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes,” she added. “Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.”

Days later, Gaines and her husband Louis Barker announced they’re expecting a baby girl in September. But even then, Gaines couldn’t resist making a dig at Biles.

“I think the funniest thing about this to me, and her saying, ‘Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a man,’” the Gaines for Girls podcast host said during a Turning Point USA event.

“How many men do you know that have this?” she added, before cradling her baby bump, prompting a round of applause from the audience.