"How could any man be proud of himself?"- Riley Gaines slams transgender athlete Luiza Marchiori following accusations of physical and emotional abuse

Riley Gaines hit out at transgender skateboarder Luiza Marchiori after several women accused the latter of violent behavior. The Brazilian is alleged to have emotionally and physically abused three women according to reports by Reduxx.

Marchiori came out as transgender in 2023 after having competed as a male for the majority of her career so far. She began competing against women in June this year, most of whom were young girls. Her recent competition at the Itacoatiara Pro weekend saw Marchiori, 30, beat a 10-year-old girl in their event.

Following her shift to competing against women, Reduxx reported that three women who were in relationships with her have disclosed that she had been abusive toward them.

Riley Gaines, a champion in the fight for women in sports, came across the information shared by the Independent Council of Women’s Sports' page on X. She replied to the tweet,

"How could any man be proud of himself for this???" Gaines asked.

Professional skater Garcia Rodrigues also shared a video on Instagram of a woman, speaking in Portuguese, accusing Marchiori of abusing her.

He wrote in the caption,

"He never respected the opinion of women or showed regret for something he did. He just wanted to take up space by imposition, and threatened each one of them. I hope that the entities representing female skateboarding and Brazilian skateboarding will fully support the victims and that justice will be done!"

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"I have dedicated myself to this cause" - Riley Gaines discloses motivation behind fighting for women’s rights in sports

Riley Gaines has been vocal about championing equality in sports, insisting that men will always have an advantage over women when it comes to competition. She also notes that young girls deserve privacy like any other person and that is the reason behind her motivation to ensure every woman in sports is respected.

Riley Gaines at the House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing Examining Female Athletics And Title IX - Getty Images

She founded the Riley Gaines Center with the hope to empower young girls and ensure they stand up for their rights and say no to impunity. Gaines told New York Post last month:

"Each sex is deserving of privacy, safety and fairness, as guaranteed in federal law by Title IX. But the law is only as good as the adults, coaches, teachers, judges and officials willing to enforce it. When adults fail to speak up, children, specifically young girls, get hurt,"

"I have dedicated myself to this cause, which is why I founded the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute. The center empowers young women by providing them with the knowledge, tools and support to advocate for fairness and integrity in women’s sports."

In the fight against the oppression of women in sport, the former University of Kentucky swimmer also authored a book, “Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost Its Mind” in which she talks about her experience as a swimmer and highlights the challenges faced by women in sports.