A recent New York Times profile of former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines has ignited fierce criticism, with business executive Jennifer Sey denouncing the piece as “petty and misguided.”
Sey, who founded sports-clothing company XX-XY Athletics and works closely with Gaines as a brand ambassador, took particular issue with the Times’ portrayal of the pivotal 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships race that thrust both athletes into the national spotlight.
The controversy centers on reporter Ruth Graham’s description of the championship race, where she claimed all eight swimmers looked “indistinguishable from one another.” This characterization has drawn sharp rebuke from critics who argue it minimizes the physical differences between competitors.
“No, they did not look indistinguishable. Will Thomas is (6-foot-4) with the broad shoulders and wing span of a man,” Sey stated. “None of the women look anything like him. But the writer tries to make the case from the outset that Thomas is just another woman!”
The race in question saw Gaines finish fifth in the 200-meter freestyle alongside Lia Thomas, marking the final competition of Gaines’ swimming career. Thomas went on to become the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title later that day in the 500-meter freestyle.
Sey challenged the Times’ favorable portrayal of Thomas, questioning what she sees as a remarkable competitive transformation. She pointed out that Thomas ranked 554th in men’s competition the previous year before catapulting to fifth place in women’s competition.
“In one year, he catapulted up to 5th. No training differences. No coaching change. The only that changed was the category he was competing in,” Sey explained. “Any athlete or coach knows that that kind of rise from 554th to 5th in one year is impossible.”
The criticism extends beyond competitive statistics to the article’s tone and framing. Graham’s piece described Gaines as someone who has “essentially not stopped talking about a race that lasted less than two minutes,” a characterization Sey views as deliberately dismissive.
“Everything about this is designed to make Gaines seem like a petty bitter grifter. When in reality, she had trained her entire life for that moment,” Sey responded. “It was the last race of her competitive career. She placed 5th in the entire country. That is an achievement and she deserved to have her moment on the podium.”
Gaines herself responded to the profile on social media, expressing frustration with what she perceived as misrepresentation. “Lots of dishonesty & false depictions in this NYT piece written by @publicroad (as expected) that essentially paints me as Satan himself,” she wrote. “But normal, sane people understand men can’t be women and vice versa.”
The debate has taken on broader political significance, particularly following President Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” Sey argues that media coverage often mischaracterizes the movement as purely partisan when public opinion shows wider support.
“The article about Riley Gaines in the NYT is illustrative of the vast divide between everyday Americans who simply believe in biological reality and a media machine still pushing a narrative,” Sey told Daily Mail. She cited polling suggesting 80% of Americans believe women’s sports should be reserved for biological women.
The controversy has created divisions within the sports community, with figures like gymnast Simone Biles previously engaging in social media disputes with Gaines over the issue. Meanwhile, major sports governing bodies have implemented various policies addressing transgender athlete participation.
Sey dismissed characterizations of the movement as exclusively right-wing, noting her own political background. “Of course the writer doesn’t share my background as a long time leftie. She is happy to have the whole movement dismissed as a right-wing grift,” she said. “This is a broad movement with support from people of all political persuasions.”
