SIMONE Biles sent an apology to the former college swimmer Riley Gaines after delivering a personal attack due to her opposing views on trans athletes.
The US Olympic gymnast and Gaines have had a social media feud over the topic of transgender women in sports.
Riley Gaines is an ex-college swimmer and is an activist campaigning against trans women competing in female sports[/caption]
US star gymnast Simone Biles blasted Gaines for her comments made last week[/caption]
Over the weekend, Biles had said that Gaines looked like a man after the ex-swimmer called out a Minnesota high school softball team for competing with a trans player last week.
Biles called Gaines “truly sick” and told her to “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be male.”
Gaines then responded by claiming it was Biles who was “a truly sick bully by her own standard.”
On Tuesday, the 11-time Olympic medalist opened up on her opinion in the trans athlete debate while also apologizing to Gaines.
“I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport,” Biles wrote in a lengthy X post.
“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.
“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.
“I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.
“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.”
Biles finished her post by sharing her hope for the future of sports that can be “fair, inclusive, and respectful.”
The apology was also posted on her Instagram story as she captioned an image of the statement along with three silver hearts.
Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears player Jonathan Owens, shared the apology on his Instagram page.
Gaines is a political activist and has campaigned against trans women in female sports.
She reacted to the Chaplin Park girl’s softball team turning the comments off a post because the team featured a transgender player.
Biles issued an apology to Gaines on social media on Tuesday[/caption]
The squad had won the Minnesota State High School Championship.
“Comments off lol,” Gaines wrote on the post. “To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
Biles responded to the post and made fun of the ex-swimmer Gaines for losing to trans athlete Lia Thomas in the 200m freestyle at the 2022 NCAA championship.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up a sore loser.
“You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive or creating a new avenue where trans feel sage in sports.
“Maybe a transgender category in all sports.
“But instead you bully them.
