The Minnesota State High School League recently celebrated Champlin Park’s victory as the 2025 Class AAAA Softball State Champion. The team posed proudly in a photo shared on X, each player smiling, medal around her neck, and championship plaque in hand.
But what should’ve been a joyful moment quickly turned controversial.
Riley Gaines Takes a Jab
Retired U.S. swimmer Riley Gaines responded to the post by mocking the school. She wrote, “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
Her message sparked outrage—and a fiery response from Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
Simone Biles Fires Back
Biles replied directly to Gaines:
“@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser [sic].”
She urged Gaines to support inclusivity in sports and consider working toward a separate category for transgender athletes. Biles also accused Gaines of bullying trans individuals, claiming her actions create an unsafe environment.
Gaines Doubles Down
Gaines responded via Instagram, accusing Biles of turning her back on women and making the issue personal.
She highlighted a tweet from Biles:
“Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines.”
Gaines called the comment ironic, pointing out that Biles acknowledged physical differences between men and women. She also noted the hypocrisy, reminding followers that Biles herself once faced body-shaming for her athletic build.
Gaines’s Mission
Gaines has become a central figure in the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports. After tying with Lia Thomas—who is biologically male—at the NCAA Women’s Championships in 2022, Gaines began to speak out.
She claimed she was forced to compete against a male athlete and share a locker room without consent.
Ongoing Advocacy
Today, Gaines works with a national women’s rights group. She advocates for defining “woman” in law, protecting Title IX, and preserving single-sex spaces in athletics.
She continues to speak across the country and has addressed lawmakers at both the state and federal level.
