WhatsApp Channel Join Now Former swimmer Riley Gaines announced she is pregnant with her first child, a girl, while addressing a recent online dispute with gymnast Simone Biles.
On June 14, 2025, Riley Gaines, a 25-year-old former competitive swimmer, shared exciting news: she and her husband, Louis Barker, are expecting their first child, a baby girl. The announcement, made during a public event, also referenced a recent social media feud with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. Gaines, known for her advocacy on women’s sports issues, used the moment to highlight her pregnancy and her ongoing stance on transgender participation in sports.
A Joyful Announcement
Gaines revealed her pregnancy to a cheering crowd, proudly showing her baby bump at 26 weeks. She later posted on Instagram with her husband, sharing ultrasound images alongside a horse. “Surprise! We’re 26 weeks pregnant!” she wrote. “God is SO good all the time.” The couple, married since 2022, expressed their excitement about welcoming a daughter.
In a post on X, Gaines described the moment as “special and providential,” adding, “She’s everything I’ve been fighting for & the little girl we’ve prayed over for years.” Her announcement drew widespread attention, with supporters celebrating the news and praising her advocacy for women’s sports.
Background: The Feud with Simone Biles
The pregnancy announcement came amid a public disagreement with Simone Biles, a 28-year-old Olympic gold medalist. The tension began when Gaines commented on a post by the Minnesota State High School League, which celebrated a softball team’s championship win. The team included Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender woman and pitcher who contributed to the victory. Gaines wrote that the win was “to be expected when your star player is a boy,” prompting a strong response from Biles.
Biles called Gaines’ remarks “truly sick” on X, accusing her of bullying the transgender community. “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,” Biles wrote. She suggested a separate transgender category for all sports and added, “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
Gaines referenced Biles’ comment during her pregnancy announcement, saying, “How many men do you know that have this?” as she revealed her baby bump to the crowd. The remark drew cheers but also reignited discussions about their differing views on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The Bigger Picture: Transgender Athletes in Sports
The debate over transgender participation in sports has grown in recent years, especially in the United States, where President Donald Trump, serving his second term as of June 16, 2025, has supported policies restricting transgender athletes from competing in women’s categories. Gaines, a vocal advocate for preserving women’s sports for biological females, hosts the Gaines for Girls podcast, where she discusses these issues.
Experts note that the topic is complex. Dr. Sarah Johnson, a sports policy researcher at the University of Maryland, explains, “Balancing inclusion with fairness in women’s sports is a challenge. Data shows transgender women may retain some physical advantages after hormone therapy, but there’s no universal agreement on how to address this.” A 2023 study by the American Sports Medicine Institute found that after two years of hormone suppression, transgender women still had, on average, 10% higher muscle mass than cisgender women, though performance gaps vary by sport.
On the other hand, advocates for inclusion, like Biles, argue for solutions that allow transgender athletes to compete safely and fairly. “Creating separate categories or open divisions could be a way forward,” said Maria Lopez, a sports equity consultant, in a recent interview. “But we need more research and dialogue to find fair policies.”
Public Reactions
Gaines’ pregnancy announcement received mixed reactions. Supporters praised her for her advocacy and celebrated her upcoming role as a mother. “Riley is standing up for girls like her daughter,” one X user wrote. Others criticized her for using the announcement to take a jab at Biles, with one commenter saying, “This should be a happy moment, not a platform for conflict.”
Biles has not publicly responded to Gaines’ latest remarks, but her earlier posts emphasized uplifting marginalized communities. The gymnast, a four-time Olympic champion, has long advocated for mental health and inclusion in sports.
What’s Next?
Gaines’ announcement marks a personal milestone as she prepares for motherhood, but it also underscores ongoing debates about transgender athletes. As discussions continue, sports organizations like the NCAA and International Olympic Committee are reviewing policies to balance inclusion and competition integrity. Meanwhile, Gaines plans to continue her advocacy through her podcast and public appearances.
For now, Gaines and Barker are focusing on their growing family. Their daughter, expected later in 2025, will arrive in a world where these debates remain unresolved, but Gaines’ supporters see her as a symbol of hope for future generations of female athletes.
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