Sports columnist faces backlash over Simone Biles defense after Riley Gaines attack

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USA Today columnist Nancy Armour faced backlash implicit the play for a file defending Simone Biles aft the Olympic golden medalist’s idiosyncratic societal media onslaught connected Riley Gaines.

Armour painted Biles arsenic a champion for the transgender assemblage arsenic the American gymnast called Gaines a "bully" for her combat to support women’s and girls’ sports. The columnist besides claimed, "There is nary technological grounds that transgender women athletes person a carnal vantage implicit cisgender women athletes" portion hitting retired astatine Gaines.

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Riley Gaines and Simone Biles (IMAGN)

There was nary notation of however astir Americans consciousness astir transgender athletes competing successful girls’ and women’s sports. An AP-NORC canvass recovered that 7 successful 10 U.S. adults deliberation transgender athletes should beryllium barred from girls’ and women’s sports.

Still, Armour implored readers to beryllium much similar Biles than Gaines.

The backlash toward the file was strong. Gaines was among those who reacted.

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Biles went aft Gaines arsenic the OutKick podcast host reacted to a transgender pitcher competing successful the Minnesota authorities softball championship.

Nancy Armour astatine the WNBA Draft ticker party

USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour smiles aft an interrogation during a WNBA Draft ticker enactment astatine Studio IX successful Brooklyn, New York, connected April 14, 2025. (Lucas Boland-USA Today)

"@Riley_Gaines_ You’re genuinely sick, each of this campaigning due to the fact that you mislaid a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles wrote connected X. "You should beryllium uplifting the trans assemblage and possibly uncovering a mode to marque sports inclusive OR creating a caller avenue wherever trans consciousness harmless successful sports. Maybe a transgender class IN ALL sports!!

"But instead… You bully them… One things for definite is nary 1 successful sports is harmless with you around!!!!!"

Gaines responded to Biles' attack.

"This is truthful disappointing. My instrumentality is the slightest arguable instrumentality connected the planet," Gaines wrote successful effect to Biles’ post. "Simone Biles being a male-apologist astatine the disbursal of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t person that connected my bingo card.