Olympic champion Simone Biles is walking back comments she made toward women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines after the two sparred on social media over the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports.

In a statement posted to X, Biles acknowledged that her response to Gaines over the weekend became too personal. “These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect,” Biles wrote. “I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports.”

The apology followed a sharp exchange in which Biles accused Gaines of “bullying” trans-identifying athletes after Gaines posted about a Minnesota high school softball team that had disabled comments on a championship post — a move Gaines speculated was related to the presence of a male athlete identifying as female on the team.

Biles responded critically, calling Gaines “truly sick” and sarcastically suggesting she “[b]ully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.” That remark drew backlash online, including from supporters of female athletes who have raised concerns about fairness in competition.

On Tuesday, Biles clarified her position: “I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to make it personal.” She added, “Individual athletes — especially kids — should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.”

Gaines accepted Biles’ apology in a post of her own while standing firm in her advocacy for fairness in women’s sports. “You’re still the greatest female gymnast of all time,” she wrote before pushing back on Biles’ framing of “competitive equity” as a goal. “Competition, by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of ‘competitive equity’ is nonsensical.”

Gaines also used the opportunity to invite Biles to further conversation on her Gaines for Girls podcast. While expressing disappointment in Biles’ earlier words, she emphasized that the real issue lies not in personal animosity but in standing up for female athletes.

“You can’t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you’re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them,” Gaines wrote. “I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless.”

Gaines has been one of the most outspoken voices in the ongoing debate over biological males in women’s sports. She cites her own experience racing against Lia Thomas, a male swimmer who identifies as female and who claimed the NCAA women’s title in 2022.

She recently appeared alongside President Donald Trump at the signing of the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, which seeks to bar biological males from competing in female athletics at the federal level. Gaines noted that Biles was not present at that event, nor has she previously lent her voice to legislative efforts to protect women’s competition.

“I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes,” Gaines added. “Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.”