Riley Gaines has once again sparked debate about transgender athletes participating in women’s sports following Nikki Hiltz’s triumph in the women’s 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Gaines asserted that transgender athletes like Hiltz are hypocretes because they insist on competing against women both when they’re biological women wanting to be men and the other way around.
Nikki Hiltz, a highly accomplished distance runner from the USA, holds the American record in the mile. Hiltz clinched the 1500m title at the 2023 US National Championships and successfully defended their crown at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
Hiltz secured a decisive victory with a time of 3:55.53, surpassing Elle St. Pierre’s Olympic trials meet record from 2021. At 29, Hiltz achieved their first qualification for the Olympic Games and is poised to become the first openly non-binary athlete to represent Team USA in the 1500m at the Summer Olympics.
While Hiltz dedicated their win to the LGBTQI+ community, Riley Gaines had a contrasting perspective on their qualification. The former swimmer questioned why transgender athletes compete in women’s sports instead of men’s, suggesting they do so to gain a competitive edge.
“A female who identifies as trans earned a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic team. I wonder why she didn’t try out for the men’s team. It’s almost as if she understands she would never be able to compete or succeed at the same level against the men. Telling,” Gaines remarked on X.
Gaines, however, clarified in a subsequent post that she wasn’t against Hiltz’s qualification in the women’s 1500m squad since they are biologically female. The 24-year-old has been vocal against biological males competing in women’s sports but acknowledged that Hiltz’s achievement was remarkable.
“Let it be known I think it’s great that she earned a spot on the women’s team. Incredible feat (so long as no PEDs are used). Just pointing out the hypocrisy and double standard. The women’s category has become a catch-all,” Gaines added.
In related news, Riley Gaines celebrated Lia Thomas’s ban from competing in elite competitions, including the Paris Olympics 2024. Thomas recently lost a legal battle against World Aquatics in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld the organization’s rules barring transgender swimmers who have undergone male puberty from participating in women’s elite competitions. The ruling also prevents Thomas from competing in the women’s category at the Paris Olympics.
Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas for fifth place at the 2022 NCAA Championships, welcomed the court’s ruling. She declared the decision a victory for women and girls everywhere.
“Great news! Lia Thomas won’t be able to compete in the women’s category at the Olympics or any other elite competition. He just lost his legal battle in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This is a victory for women and girls everywhere,” she wrote on X.
Gaines had tied with Thomas in the 200m freestyle, but the trophy was awarded to Thomas, leading to public outcry and spurring Gaines to become a full-time activist in the ensuing months.
