"I've faced violent attacks" - Riley Gaines claps back at journalist over 'misogynistic' Lia Thomas accusations

Riley Gaines lashed out at American sports journalist Jemele Hill after the latter claimed Gaines became famous over the controversy with Lia Thomas. Gaines faced the transgender swimmer during the 2022 NCAA Championships and has since been calling for a ban on transgender athletes' participation in women's sports.

The former Kentucky swimmer was calling out Hill over her remarks that Caitlin Clark's popularity was influenced by her 'race and sexuality' when she brought up Thomas. Claiming that her words about Clark were misinterpreted, the former ESPN reporter told Gaines she should thank Thomas for making her famous. Hill wrote on X:

"Girl, you need to thank Lia Thomas every day of your life for helping you get famous, otherwise you would have been just a decent college swimmer that no one knew. You wrote the book on grifting — not me."

"I notice you didn’t post the original LA Times piece my comments appeared in that provided the entire context of my remarks. Instead, you posted an opinion piece that intentionally misrepresented what I said. In the same article I called her a generational talent and the female Steph Curry," she wrote.

Responding to the writer's allegation of having remained 'just a decent swimmer' in Thomas' absence, Gaines wrote:

"I didn't ask for the platform I have. I'd have been just fine being a decent college swimmer, married to my best friend, and pursuing dentistry. Sounds like a dream to me."

The 24-year-old also claimed that she had faced violent attacks for her fight against transgender athletes' participation in women's sports.

"I've faced threats and violent attacks for my stance. You've got to be clinically insane to desire that for yourself. I do what I do because it's the right thing and at the time, few were," Riley Gaines added.

The two-time SEC champion also confronted Hill in another post and called her Lia Thomas claims 'deeply regressive & utterly misogynistic'.

"How deeply regressive & utterly misogynistic for Jemele Hill to tell me to thank a man for the platform I have. Thank him for what? Violating us in the locker room? Stealing a national title from a deserving woman? Indirectly stripping us of our 1A rights? Just say you hate women, @jemelehill," she wrote.

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Explained: Riley Gaines vs Lia Thomas controversy

NCAA SWIMMING: Riley Gaines (R) and Lia Thomas on the podium (Image: Getty)

Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas competed against each other during the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships when the latter was already the center of attention for being allowed to compete against cisgender females. The pair met during the 200m freestyle finals, each posting a time of 1:43.40 to share the fifth position.

The 24-year-old has since started a widespread campaign against transgender athletes' participation in women's sports.