“Where’s Billie Jean King… Where’s Megan Rapinoe” – Swimmer Riley Gaines, Who Tied With Lia Thomas in NCAA, Calls Out US Soccer Superstar

Equality between male and female athletes in every sport is a must. In soccer, Megan Rapinoe has fought for the women’s counterpart in the game for quite a few years. Recently, Kentucky swimmer, Riley Gaines made the headlines because of her bold comments surrounding women’s sports, mainly swimming. Gaines is a renowned swimmer with a highly decorative career. However, controversial incidents during the last year have brought the swimmer into the limelight.

In a recent interview, the swimmer openly asked several female athletes for help, including Megan Rapinoe.

Gaines calls out Megan Rapinoe for help!

The issue in the limelight is women athletes having to compete with transgender athletes in their respective sports. A similar incident happened with Riley Gaines in 2022. Last year, Gaines tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships. The situation went from bad to worse after Thomas won a trophy while Gaines didn’t, despite sharing the fifth spot on the podium.

Angered and irritated by the same, the American swimmer has pleaded for help. She has openly questioned every renowned women athlete out there. In a recent interview with Daily Signal, Gaines assertively said, “Where’s Billie Jean King, who’s a trailblazer? She’s fighting for trans inclusion. Where’s Megan Rapinoe, who fought relentlessly for equal pay and equal resources, and equal access for women’s sports? Oh, she’s fighting for trans inclusion.”

She continued, “Worth mentioning that neither one of these women have daughters, and both of these women are done with their careers. So they have nothing to lose. They would rather virtue-signal than do what’s right and what’s moral and what’s fair”. 

READ MORE: What Rank Did Lia Thomas Stand at While Competing in the Men’s Swimming Division?

Let’s have a look at what Lia Thomas and other influential people had to say about transgender athletes becoming a ‘threat’ to women’s sports.

Lia Thomas feels that transgenders ‘are not a threat’

Quite a few fans and sports critics have questioned the policymakers of several women’s sports. The Gaines – Thomas saga will definitely not be the first and last one. However, Thomas who began her replacement therapy in 2019, feels that transgenders ‘are not a threat’ to women’s sports. Thomas revealed that her transitioning process took so long because she wasn’t sure about continuing swimming at all.

She then asserted that she was prepared to battle against any scrutiny if she competed as a woman. At one point, the fans also accused Thomas of changing her gender to win more silverware. Amidst all the chaos, Donald Trump felt that transgenders shouldn’t compete with females in any sport simply due to their unfair biological advantage.

WATCH THIS STORY: How Far is Controversial Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas From Breaking US Star Katie Ledecky’s NCAA Records?

What are your views on the Gaines – Thomas controversy? Let us know in the comments below.