Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, left, called Riley Gaines a “sore loser” after the former NCAA swimmer criticized a transgender athlete’s participation in a high school softball championship.

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump trade blows on social media amid their fractured political alliance, another feud — this time between two of the most prominent figures in women’s sports — is heating up online.

Tension between Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and former NCAA swimmer turned conservative commentator Riley Gaines escalated this week after Gaines got angry that a transgender girl competed in a high school state championship softball game.

Gaines, who has 1.5 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, called out the Minnesota State High School League for allowing transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger to play — and help her team win the title. The league had posted a photo of the winning team, which sparked Gaines' backlash.

“Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy," she posted Friday.

Biles responded by calling Gaines a "sore loser” who was bullying transgender athletes for attention. 

“All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles wrote, referring to when Gaines competed against trans swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022.

The seven-time Olympic medalist urged Gaines to support trans athletes instead of attacking them. “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,” she wrote. “Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”

“But instead… You bully them… One thing's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!” Biles added.

Gaines said she was defending female sports. She believes allowing trans athletes to compete against biological women and girls creates an uneven playing field. 

"My take is the least controversial take on the planet," she said in another post. "Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028."

Gaines also referenced a dark chapter in women’s sports that involved the years-long abuse scandal surrounding former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Biles was among 265 athletes, many of them Olympians, who were sexually abused by Nassar, who was convicted of molesting athletes during his 18-year tenure with the US women’s national gymnastics team.

Gaines argued that a survivor of sexual abuse should oppose allowing transgender athletes into female locker rooms.

Biles did not publicly respond to that remark.

The exchange highlights a growing national debate over transgender athletes in school sports. States across the country are grappling with policies around trans inclusion, while the Trump administration has taken a firm stance against allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports.