Simone Biles—the queen of gymnastics and a four-time Olympic gold medalist—has once again sparked online chatter. But this time, it’s not about a daring vault or winning streak. It’s about a cryptic post she shared shortly after stepping away from X (formerly Twitter) and getting tangled in an online clash with outspoken swimmer Riley Gaines. If you’ve been watching this drama unfold, you know it’s got everything: subtle shade, silence that speaks volumes, and fans reading between the lines like they’re decoding a thriller novel. So, what did Biles post? Why did she leave X? And what’s the real story behind the Riley Gaines feud? Let’s dive in.
The 11-time Olympic gold medalist and former University of Kentucky swimmer had a heated disagreement on X regarding transgender women athletes in women’s sports. It began when Gaines misgendered a high school athlete as a “boy,” to which Biles reacted in a since-deleted X post, “@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up 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 safe in sports. 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!!!!!” Biles wrote on X at the time. “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_,” Biles hit back in a separate post, referring to her race with transgender athlete Lia Thomas back in 2022, where both Gaines and Thomas tied for fifth place.
The former collegiate swimmer reacted: “This is actually so disappointing. 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.”
Biles received backlash for her posts and she ended up apologizing for “getting personal with Riley.” “I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & 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,” Biles wrote in part on X at the time.
Gaines had a positive reaction to Biles’ apology and praised her for her accolades she has accomplished in women’s sports. “I accept Simone’s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She’s still the greatest female gymnast of all time. A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play…”
In a world obsessed with hot takes and viral tweets, Simone Biles chose to unplug and speak through subtlety. Her cryptic post may have been short, but its impact was long-lasting. Whether it was a response to Riley Gaines or just a personal reflection, one thing is clear: Simone is in control of her story.
