Simone Biles' ESPY win for Best Championship Performance sparks renewed backlash over her remarks on transgender athletes in women's sports
Simone Biles found herself at the center of renewed public scrutiny after securing the 2025 ESPY Award for Best Championship Performance. The honor came on the heels of her gold-medal performance in the women’s all-around gymnastics final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yet, rather than focusing on her athletic excellence, much of the post-ceremony conversation once again shifted to her controversial remarks on transgender participation in women’s sports.
Simone Biles wins Best Championship Performance at ESPYs, reigniting backlash over transgender athlete comments and sparking social media outrage.
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Weeks earlier, Biles ignited heated debate after engaging in a public dispute with Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and OutKick commentator known for her stance on fairness in female athletics. Biles drew heavy criticism for comparing Gaines’ appearance to that of a man, a comment she later retracted amid widespread backlash. Her subsequent clarification on the inclusion of transgender athletes failed to ease the tension among many critics.
The controversy was far from forgotten when Biles stepped onto the ESPYs stage to accept her award. Competing against notable male athletes such as NBA star Steph Curry, MLB standout Freddie Freeman, and golf champion Rory McIlroy, Biles began her acceptance speech by expressing surprise at the win: “That was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men. So thank you guys so much.”
Her closing remarks, however, reignited the conversation. Concluding with, “I believe in the power of sport, the power of us, and, of course, the power of she,” Biles appeared to highlight the importance of female representation. Yet, those words were quickly dissected across social media, where detractors accused her of hypocrisy and questioned her commitment to protecting women's sports.
Commenters flooded X with pointed criticism. Some questioned the sincerity of her message, suggesting her views conflict with fair competition standards. Others mocked the speech, framing it as an attempt to deflect attention from past controversies. A portion of the backlash also challenged the legitimacy of her award, with critics claiming her political stance influenced the decision more than her athletic merit.
